CRO

TFS HealthScience hops into Australia to expand APAC operations

TFS HealthScience is growing Down Under, setting up a new operational base in Melbourne, Australia—the CRO's first official location in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. 

“Australia’s expanding market aligns perfectly with our vision for growth and innovation,” TFS CEO Bassem Saleh, M.D., said in a March 11 press release. “This expansion enables us to better integrate into the APAC region and strengthens our commitment to delivering unparalleled clinical research solutions to our global network.” 

TFS is an 800-employee, full-service CRO for pharmas and biotechs, with operations in ophthalmology, neurology, dermatology, oncology, internal medicine and more. It already had consultants and partner CROs in the APAC region prior to the establishment of its new base but will now be able to expand its site network. The company plans to grow its footprint in other APAC countries beyond Australia, according to the press release. 

TFS operates in more than 40 countries, most recently adding Israel to its list through a partnership with GCP Clinical Studies.

Meanwhile, other CROs have been expanding their footprint in Australia recently as well; Alliance Pharma opened a bioanalytical lab in Brisbane in 2022, while Anatara Lifesciences and ObvioHealth inked a deal in 2021 for “siteless” clinical trials in Australia involving patients with irritable bowel syndrome. A 2016 report found that the country is attractive to early-stage CROs on account of its low tax status relative to the U.S.