Swiss CRO PFC joins forces with Excel Life to leverage on Indian clinical trial opportunities

PFC India will offer study planning, monitoring, audit and data management services to life science companies across the world.

The Indian affiliate of the Switzerland-based contract research organisation PFC Pharma Focus has jointed hands with Excel Life Sciences (ELS) to launch PFC India, a full-service CRO specializing in clinical monitoring and data management services.

Excel Life Sciences (ELS) is a U.S.-based, India focused, provider of comprehensive clinical trial management services, focusing on site performance, patient enrollment and on-time study completion.

The PFC India aims to combine PFCs strengths as an established European contract research organisation (CRO) which is having proven strengths in handling all stages of clinical studies including post-marketing surveillance with the local expertise and trial management skills possessed by Excel Life Sciences (ELS).

Based in New Delhi, PFC India will provide clinical trials services  supporting the needs of biopharmaceutical companies and CROs in India, offering study planning, monitoring, audit and data management capabilities.

PFC India will bring an unprecedented focus on quality data and good clinical practice to India, at a time when the FDA and Drugs Controller General’s office of India are stepping up their compliance standards and pharmaceutical companies are requesting a high level of service, preferably from an experienced and established brand, stated Dr Vijai Kumar, president and chief medical officer of ELS.

India has a large and diverse patient population as well as a significant number of patients with rare diseases. The number of new clinical trials started in India is growing at a rate of more than 50% a year. The PFC India joint venture would facilitate greater access to the India’s vast gene pool to gain a share in the countries fast-growing clinical research marketplace for the benefit of the partners.

The companies are hoping this increased focus in quality will boost demand for services provided by experienced and established brands, which would help PFC India gain a share of the country’s booming clinical trials sector.

ELS is well established in India and the team has market-leading experience in conducting global trials .They have a proven track record in involving high-performing centres with very good patient recruitment and retention rates and will enable the CRO to make a smooth entry into this geographical area, according to Dr Kurt Pfister, co-founder and chief executive officer of PFC Pharma Focus.

In January, PFC Pharma Focus signed a partnership agreement with Blanchard y Asociados, a clinical research consulting firm based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to provide clinical and project management services in South America.

India’s booming clinical research market has attracted several global CROs to begin operations in the country recently. In April, the Indian CRO GVK Biosciences (GVK Bio) and Chinese Excel PharmaStudies (Excel) have joined hands to offer clinical trial sevices in Asian region in a first-ever alliance between a Chinese and Indian CRO.

Similarly, the Australian clinical research company Novotech entered into a strategic partnership pact with ETI Klinical Pvt Ltd of India, in May. The Novotech-ETI Klinical joint venture targets to serve the growing demand for global clinical research in the region. The companies will operate across India and offer full clinical and data management services.

Founded in 1992, PFC has conducted clinical studies from A to Z, Phase I to Phase IV and Post-marketing surveillance in Europe in a number of indications from its headquarters near Zurich, Switzerland, or from its daughter company in Munich, Germany. In 1999, PFC forged an alliance with PharmaResearch Corporation for the US and the UK in 1999 and tied up with SocraTec R&D in Germany in 2002. It has also established partnerships or regional offices in Romania, Bulgaria and India during 2005 and expanded into Israel in 2006 with the formation of Pharma Focus Ltd in Tel Aviv.

ELS has its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, as well as US offices in Boston, Raleigh-Durham and Washington DC, plus further offices in Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and 21 other locations across India.