US-based clinical research organisation, Quintiles Transnational Corp., will expand its Singapore base to cater to the growing demand for its business in Asia-Pacific.

Quintiles' Central Lab and its Clinical Development Services (CDS) will occupy 80,000 square feet in the Cintech IV building, now under construction in Singapore's Science Park One. The move is planned for the third quarter of 2009. The new regional headquarters will double the size of its existing presence in Singapore and will be the home of the region's largest clinical development organisation.

Dennis Gillings, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, says, "Since entering the region in the 1990s, we have built a strong staff capability of 2,800 clinical development professionals, representing a total of 23 nationalities, who have worked in more clinical trials, and we have more investigator sites than any other single organisation in Asia."

Quintiles is the provider of a broad range of professional services in drug development, financial partnering and commercialisation for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare industries. The corporation entered the Asia-Pacific region in 1993 with offices in Japan and Australia before establishing its Singapore office in 1995. In Singapore, Quintiles has 225 employees, spread over three locations, but the new facility can accommodate up to 400 staff.

According to Anand Tharmaratnam, Chief Executive Officer, Southeast Asia, and Head of Clinical Development, Asia Pacific, Quintiles, the new expanded facility renews the company's commitment to the region and to its partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

"Our growth in Singapore has been bolstered by the expanding base of companies and research institutes in Singapore's larger biomedical sciences research community," he affirms. "We are projecting continued strong growth in the future, and this new facility gives us the room we will need. The new location will also allow us to work more efficiently, share best practices and deliver turnkey solutions to our customers."