Canadian CRO conglomerate Altasciences struck a deal with preclinical researcher ITR Laboratories, joining forces to create a discovery-to-development offering for drugmakers.
Under the deal, the two companies will align themselves as a single partner for clients, bridging ITR's early-stage capacity to Altasciences expertise in Phase I trials. The goal is to create a seamless transition from lead candidate selection to clinical trials, and the companies believe joining forces will allow drug developers to more quickly reach the proof-of-concept stage.
ITR, owned by Japan's Biology and Zoology Research Center, specializes in toxicology testing for pharma and biotech, handling animal studies on a contract basis. Altasciences, owner of Algorithme Pharma and Vince and Associates, has been steadily expanding its footprint in the world of early-stage clinical trials.
"Few organizations can offer an integrated early development solution which includes expertise in both nonclinical and clinical testing, along with personalized service," Altasciences CEO Chris Perkin said in a statement. "ITR and Altasciences are customer-centric, full-service companies that provide the necessary focused expertise from nonclinical studies to first-in-human and proof-of-concept clinical programs, which we believe will benefit our sponsors with customized turn-key solutions."
- read the announcement