Two U.S. Companies Expand Clinical Trial Presence in India

The contract research organization Parexel and the drug development support company Aptuit made separate announcements that they are expanding their clinical trial presence in India, following a growing trend in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Both announcements were made at the Drug Information Association’s 43rd Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

Parexel announced that it has opened a new location in Hyderabad, India, to do data management and medical imaging for clinical trials. The company also has a “traditional clinical research” facility in Bangalore, which does Phase II and III trials, and an investment in a Phase I business in Ahmedabad, Parexel Chairman and CEO Josef von Rickenbach said.

Aptuit said that it is investing more than $130 million over the next four years in the Indian company Laurus Labs, and that together the two companies are forming a new drug development company, Aptuit Laurus. The new entity will conduct Phase I and II trials in India for clients located elsewhere, as well as chemistry and other preclinical work, consulting, large-scale dosage form manufacturing, clinical packaging and logistics. Therapeutic areas to be covered include cardiovascular, central nervous system, oncology and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.