Covance Expands Asia-Pac Presence

Covance and BML Inc., a Japanese testing company, have opened the CB Trial Laboratory, a new central trial lab in the BML General Lab in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. Through an exclusive, five-year agreement, this lab will be used solely for the testing of clinical trial samples for studies conducted by Covance in Japan.

The central lab conducts safety and HbA1C testing and uses the same methods, instrumentations, reagents, standards and controls used in Covance’s four other central labs (Indianapolis, IN; Geneva, Switzerland; Singapore; and Shanghai), to help ensure quality and fully combinable global data for Covance’s clients. BML is providing a suite of complementary, market-specific client services, including kit customization, local logistics services and on-site logistics training, to meet the unique client needs in the country.

“We have successfully served the Japanese market for a decade. Recent efforts by Japanese regulators to reduce drug development timelines have created significant interest among pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical trials in the country. Collaborating with BML created the best opportunity to service the growing needs of our clients and to meet the unique requirements of studies in Japan,” said Deborah Tanner, corporate senior vice president and president, Central Laboratory Services and Discovery & Translational Services.