Quintiles, London Genetics Ally to Enhance Drug Discovery and Development Through Pharmacogenetics

Quintiles, London Genetics Ally to Enhance Drug Discovery and Development Through Pharmacogenetics
Alliance combines world-class expertise and global infrastructure to support biopharma in the development of personalized medicine

November 29, 2010 09:27 AM Eastern Time 
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. & LONDON--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Quintiles, the world's leading biopharmaceutical services company, and London Genetics, an expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in drug discovery and development, today announced a strategic alliance to offer the biopharmaceutical industry innovative pharmacogenetics solutions to advance personalized medicine. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"In the New Health, biopharmaceutical companies are under relentless pressure to replenish their product pipelines and deliver safer, more effective medicines to patients in need," said Thomas Wollman, Senior Vice President, Quintiles Global Central Laboratories. "Through our alliance with London Genetics, we have world-class expertise to help early adopters of personalized medicine use genomic technologies to improve drug discovery and development, and a networked infrastructure to support those efforts virtually anywhere in the world."

Under the non-exclusive alliance, Quintiles and London Genetics will collaborate to help biopharma companies take advantage of pharmacogenetic solutions, including novel biomarker and assay development services. By providing biopharma companies strategic advice on the application of pharmacogenetics and innovative pharmacogenetics solutions, Quintiles and London Genetics can help customers access additional resources and speed the delivery of targeted treatments.

"Our expertise in pharmacogenetic strategy development combined with Quintiles' expertise and infrastructure in biomarker development gives biopharma companies a powerful ally in harnessing the value of genomic data for drug development," said Dominique Kleyn, CEO of London Genetics. "Ultimately, our alliance will support biopharma in their interactions with academic partners and the development of personalized medicines."

Quintiles develops proprietary and novel biomarker tests analyzing genes and proteins that affect cell growth and mutation, and performs these assays at labs in the United States, Scotland and China. Quintiles has the largest central laboratory network in the world, with wholly owned facilities in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, India, China, Singapore and Japan, and a tightly controlled network of affiliate laboratories in Argentina and Brazil. London Genetics works with London-based centers of excellence in genetics research to provide pharmacogenetic solutions to the biopharmaceutical industry. London Genetics can help companies to partner with relevant academics and clinicians, to apply genetic knowledge to de-risk clinical trials, to design and manage projects and to access patient cohorts.

About Quintiles

Quintiles is the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical services company offering clinical, commercial, consulting and capital solutions worldwide. The Quintiles network of more than 20,000 engaged professionals in 60 countries works with an unwavering commitment to patients, safety and ethics. Quintiles helps biopharmaceutical companies navigate risk and seize opportunities in an environment where change is constant. For more information, please visit www.quintiles.com.

About London Genetics

London Genetics Limited (LGL), a not-for-profit company, is an expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in clinical drug discovery and development. Established in 2007 with funding from the London Development Agency, its seven founding partners are leading London academic and medical institutions with clinical and genetic expertise and significant patient resources. The company provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with access to this expertise and resource, as well as providing strategic advice on the application of pharmacogenetics for successful drug development. LGL has broad therapeutic expertise, based on its access to 3,000 academic groups with a £650m annual research spend. Recent deals include a partnership with Diaceutics to accelerate biomarker development in the biopharmaceutical industry, and a cancer vaccine collaboration with Astrimmune. LGL is based in central London and has ISO 9001 accreditation. For further information, please go to www.londongenetics.com.


Contacts
Quintiles
Lindsay Singler, Media Relations, 919-998-7968
[email protected]
Greg Connors, Investor Relations, 919-998-2000
[email protected]
or
London Genetics Ltd
Dominique Kleyn, CEO, + 44 (0) 207 594 1838
or
Emma Palmer Foster, + 44 (0) 7880 787185
Strategic Communications Consultant
[email protected]