CRO

After Warnex buy, Biotrial jumps into bioanalytics

Now that it has paid about $6.1 million for Warnex's bioanalytics business, France's Biotrial Research is launching an offering all its own.

BBS--Biotrial Bioanalytical Services--will offer method development and validation; preclinical, bioavailability and bioequivalence studies; and therapeutic drug monitoring, according to the company. Thanks to the Warnex purchase, Biotrial has 25,000 square feet of lab space to work with, more than 250 assays and about 70 staff members for the unit.

"We have been looking for many years to find the right partner to complement our offer with sample analysis so that our customers could benefit from a full package in their process of developing new drugs or generics," CEO Jean-Marc Gandon said in a statement. "Because of its ability to meet the growing needs of the pharmaceutical industry and to use the latest technology, Warnex became an obvious choice."

Michael Mancini, the former president of Warnex's bioanalytical unit, serves in the same role at BBS, and he said the transition has been smooth since he and his staff joined Biotrial. Mancini's business was the last segment Warnex sold off in its quest to liquidate and pay down debt, and he said the unit has found a home where it can continue growing.

"Being a part of such an international and well-recognized CRO ensures that we will continue to expand our service offering as we have been doing for so many years," Mancini said in a statement.

- read Biotrial's release