CRO

Former GSK staffers launch new Canadian CRO

A new contract research organization has risen out of the flames of Glaxo's ($GSK) former Canadian vaccines unit as it sets up shop in the pharma company's old Laval facility.

The new CRO, which is based in Quebec, provides analytical and process development services for vaccines and biologics products.

The team were once senior members of GSK-Vaccines principal North American R&D unit in Laval--that is until last year, when the U.K. company pulled much of its vaccine operations in the area.

This came after GSK set up a partnership with Canadian research group Neomed to turn the site into a "center of excellence"--which turned out not to be so excellent for around half of the 122 staff there, who were axed. It also came at the same time GSK bought into Novartis' ($NVS) vaccines unit in a $20 billion asset swap.

When GSK pulled the plug on the Laval facility--and the team found themselves without a job--they decided to pull together their experience and run a service provider: so is the origins story of Biodextris.

"Our history within successful commercial organizations makes us an ideal partner to efficiently move products from candidate selection through clinical development," explained Joseph Zimmermann, CEO of Biodextris.

"The team's passion, coupled with our capabilities and formal quality management systems, enable our vision to become a full service process development and manufacturing organization."

Biodextris said in a statement that aims to provide "cost-competitive services" to companies in the clinical phases of product development for complex vaccine and biologics products. 

"Our Quality Management System is the backbone of everything we do," added Christine Jacques, analytical services director. "It is the reason large multinational pharmaceutical and innovative vaccine and biologics companies work with us."

- check out the release