Quintiles, Thermo Fisher Set IRT JV

Quintiles Transnational Corp. and Thermo Fisher Scientific has established Cenduit, a joint venture to provide Interactive Response Technology (IRT) services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology product development. IRT is a technology platform that integrates patient interaction systems through a combination of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, Web interfaces and handheld electronic patient diaries. The use of IRT is expected to grow as pharmaceutical companies look to streamline and better control increasingly complex drug development processes, according to a joint statement by the companies.

Thermo Fisher will contribute to the JV with its Fisher Clinical Services IRT operations in three locations — Horsham, U.K., Allentown, PA, and Basel, Switzerland. Quintiles will provide its IRT operations in Bangalore, India, and Research Triangle Park, NC. The RTP site will also serve as the venture’s headquarters.

“Cenduit brings together best-in-class technology, exceptional customer service and global clinical trial expertise to give biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies a seamless, integrated ‘one-stop’ service for support of their clinical development programs,” said Jogin Desai, chief executive officer of Cenduit. “Our efficiency and experience in IRT services and clinical project management offers the drug development industry a conduit to the broadest, most accurate, real-time view of every detail in the process — and a very competitive solution.” Dr. Desai previously served as executive director of Quintiles Cardiac Safety Services. A medical doctor, he has experience in clinical research in the U.S. He joined Quintiles India in 2002 and helped build and expand the global ECG business, which has staff in India, the UK, the U.S. and Japan.

Dr. Desai added, “IVR is used in an estimated 30% of all Phase II-III clinical trials, and this rate is expanding rapidly. With advances in technology leading to even broader application through IRT, we believe the market will grow at a rate of about 20% per year, and we plan to offer a service that can aggressively capitalize on this opportunity.”

Cenduit will be guided by a joint venture board of directors, composed of representatives from each of the founder companies. The board will provide guidance on operational and strategic matters. “Our companies have been looking for an opportunity to leverage the particular service strengths we bring to the drug development process,” said Marijn E. Dekkers, president and chief executive officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

“These are two businesses that know the complexity of clinical trials and the optimal cohesiveness and integration of their many work and data streams,” said Oppel Greeff, Quintiles’ Vice Chairman, Operations. “The joint venture that we have created through Cenduit offers the drug development industry the broadest, most accurate view of every detail in the process.”