Novotech the largest Asia-Pacific-based CRO has acquired Australasian specialist CRO Clinical Network Services (CNS) as part of a mutual mission to expand services to biopharma for early phase product development and clinical research through to later phase regional and global trials.
Both companies will continue to retain their separate brands and identities.
Early phase CNS clients wishing to advance development into later phase regional trials can tap into Novotech’s Asia-Pacific expertise backed by 10 partnership agreements with leading hospitals and medical institutions that offer access to more than 1.4 billion people living in urban areas in the region.
Novotech has more than 400 staff across Asia-Pacific and business development offices in the USA, and CNS has more than 140 staff in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
As part of the deal, clients can access leading services from both groups including the CNS BioDesk, that provides early stage product development advice including toxicology, CMC and FDA/EMA regulatory consulting and interactions; and Novotech’s advanced regional IT infrastructure, to support their clinical research programs.
Novotech CEO John Moller said:
“Biopharma clients should know this is a bringing together of the highest quality CROs in the region. Very importantly, we have developed remarkably similar company cultures, and I know the teams are excited about the opportunity to work together.
Novotech and CNS will continue to operate under separate brands with CNS specialising in early phase non-oncology clinical trials across Australia and New Zealand, and Novotech specialising in regional Asia-Pacific and global project delivery across all phases.
Our Asia-Pacific in-country relationships enable a comprehensive understanding of local regulatory requirements and changes, access to leading investigators, strong site connections, and accessible patient populations to deliver success for our clients within timelines and budgets.”
CNS Managing Director, Russ Neal commented:
“Early phase research in Australasia has seen incredible growth over the last 6-7 years and CNS is proud to be a significant part of this proven capability. As our clients have experienced success with us, we have often wished we had the international reach to continue supporting them. This truly complimentary association with Novotech now means that we are able to offer our clients access to Novotech’s Asia-Pacific experience and expertise in later phase regional or global trials. On the other hand, Novotech clients can access our highly regarded global product development and regulatory affairs consultancy team, BioDesk, based out of Washington DC, London and Australia”
CNS COO and Executive Director Gabrielle McKee further added:
“CNS clients will also benefit from many of Novotech’s strengths, including IT infrastructure and specialist functions such as legal, learning and development and marketing and analytics and particularly exciting is that together CNS and Novotech offer our clients one of the most experienced and knowledgeable biometrics teams in the region with about 70 staff in the combined unit.”
Headquartered in Sydney, Novotech is internationally recognized as the leading regional full-service contract research organization (CRO). With a focus on clinical monitoring, Novotech has been instrumental in the success of hundreds of Phase I - IV clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific region.
Novotech provides clinical development services across all clinical trial phases and therapeutic areas including: feasibility assessments; ethics committee and regulatory submissions, data management, statistical analysis, medical monitoring, safety services, central lab services, report write-up to ICH requirements, project and vendor management. Novotech’s strong Asia-Pacific presence includes running clinical trials in all key regional markets. Novotech also has worldwide reach through the company's network of strategic partners.
About Clinical Network Services
Clinical Network Services (CNS) is an integrated service group focused on product development headquartered in Australia with offices in New Zealand, the UK and the USA, who create value for small to medium sized biotechnology companies by progressing early stage products through phase 1 & 2 clinical trials or the marketplace sooner. CNS offers a unique service where it integrates BioDesk, an intelligent global product development and regulatory affairs consultancy, with our committed, highly experienced Australian/New Zealand clinical services and biometrics team. CNS’ regional clinical advantage is driven by the extremely pragmatic regulatory environment in Australia and New Zealand that makes it possible for clients to enter the clinic quickly, without prior regulatory approval. CNS offers a uniquely differentiated, customer-orientated, suite of services to clients which enables CNS to guide products efficiently through critical post-discovery development and into initial human trials. Throughout, CNS takes a global development/ regulatory strategic approach to ensure that value is added at every stage of the product development life cycle.