Patient-recruitment specialist Synexus has expanded its presence in South Africa, buying up another trial site in the country as it touts a growing list of clients.
The U.K.-headquartered company purchased a specialized site near Cape Town's airport, marking its fourth outpost in South Africa and its 24th around the globe.
The new acquisition, formerly called the Helderberg Clinical Trials Centre, has been open since 1994 and specializes in diabetes, osteoporosis, COPD, cardiovascular ailments and infectious diseases, Synexus said. The site has a track record of more than 150 clinical trials, the company said, and its founder, local diabetes expert Graham Ellis, will retain his role as manager and come aboard Synexus as a medical director.
The company, which specializes in finding ideal patients for CROs and their sponsors, has opened three new centers in the past 6 months, responding a record-high order book that continues to grow, CEO Christophe Berthoux said.
"We have long recognized the vital role South Africa has to play in global clinical trials as this addition to our portfolio and continued investment in the region is testament to that," Berthoux said in a statement. "South Africa provides access to a large patient pool excellent medical infrastructure and the training of the medical staff at all levels is of a very high standard."
Beyond Africa, Synexus has a large presence in Eastern Europe, last year establishing a Polish hub to oversee its operations in Hungary, Romania, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
- read the statement