Covance Inc. a provider of drug development services, today announced completion of the expansion of its central laboratory facility in Singapore to enhance the company’s current service offerings and position it to meet current and future growth of drug development in the Asia Pacific region. The expansion is the latest in Covance’s continued investment in Singapore, and an important element of the strategic investment plans for the Asia Pacific region that also includes recent growth in operations in China and Japan.
The laboratory, at approximately 2,700 square meters (29,000 square feet), is the largest of its kind in Singapore, providing clinical testing services to clients in Asia, including South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, and India. This laboratory expansion doubles the size of Covance’s genomics footprint in Singapore, while also adding capabilities in anatomic pathology and nutritional chemistry. Like Covance’s central laboratories in Indianapolis, Indiana; Geneva, Switzerland; Shanghai, China; and Tokyo, Japan, the Singapore facility continues to provide a full-service offering that includes chemistry, immunology, hematology, flow cytometry, genomics, anatomic pathology, and microbiology.
“For the last 13 years Covance has provided central laboratory testing services in Singapore, where we have seen increasing demand for efficient, high-quality clinical trial data and support,” said Jon Koch, Corporate Vice President and Global General Manager, Central Laboratory Services, Covance. “This expansion will help us better serve both our local and multinational customers’ R&D needs in key therapeutic areas like oncology and metabolic diseases while reflecting Covance’s continued commitment to the Asia Pacific region.” “Covance’s expansion reaffirms Singapore’s proposition as a strategic location for CROs to base their regional operations as they expand to tap on the fast growing opportunities in Asia,” said Kevin Lai, Director, Biomedical Sciences Group, from the Economic Development Board of Singapore. “Its investment is a strong vote of confidence in our efforts in developing Singapore as a leading biomedical sciences hub with strong capabilities to support translational and clinical research.” “In addition to providing our clients in Asia the broadest access to clinical trial testing services, Covance’s facilities in the Asia Pacific region also offer preclinical services together with a comprehensive range of clinical development services to support both regional and global trials. Being the only CRO with the expertise to develop a molecule from discovery through all preclinical and clinical milestones makes Covance a preferred provider for companies wishing to develop drug candidates in Asia and around the globe,” added Deborah Keller, Executive Vice President and Group President, R&D Laboratories, Covance.
