News | October 31, 2007

MDS Pharma Services Expands Central Lab Operations In China

MDS Pharma Services, a leading provider of innovative drug discovery and development solutions, announced recently a significant expansion of its central lab operations in China. The contract research organization has moved to a new, larger facility in Beijing to meet the growing demands from pharmaceutical and biotech companies conducting clinical trials in China.

With almost 25,000 square feet, the new facility offers a five-time increase in testing capacity, four times the space to produce clinical trial kits, and a wider range of specialized clinical trial testing services. This new facility's proximity to the Beijing airport also facilitates faster transportation of clinical trial samples.

"We are excited about how this significant expansion will better serve the growing needs of our clients," said MDS Pharma Services President David Spaight. "With many pharmaceutical and biotech companies now making China part of their global clinical trial programs, we recognized the need to expand our central lab operations and offer more diverse testing options."

This new central lab facility specializes in molecular biology testing for infectious diseases, DNA banking and pharmacogenomics - the study of genes to develop therapies tailored to a person's genetic makeup. It also offers enhanced molecular biology techniques, a microbiology lab and flow cytometry capabilities - a technology used increasingly in oncology and immune disorders. MDS Pharma Services continues to offer project and data management from this new facility.

MDS Pharma Services has been in China for more than 10 years and has managed more than 30,000 patients in clinical trials. As an industry pioneer, it introduced standardized clinical research services to China. It was the first western contract research organization to own its facility in China and the first clinical laboratory in China to receive accreditation from the College of American Pathologists. It also maintains the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program Level I certification.

In addition to the Beijing site, MDS Pharma Services offers central laboratory services in key geographic areas around the world, including Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Singapore and South America.

About MDS Pharma Services
MDS Pharma Services offers a full spectrum of resources to meet the drug discovery and development needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. With numerous facilities strategically located around the world, we apply advanced scientific and technological expertise throughout the drug discovery and development process - from lead optimization, pre-IND research, early clinical research (bioequivalence, phases I-IIa) and bioanalysis through to global clinical development (phases IIb-IV), central lab and centralized cardiac services. For more information, visit our website at www.mdsps.com.

MDS Pharma Services is a business unit of MDS Inc. , a global life sciences company that provides market-leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than 6,200 highly skilled people in 28 countries. Find out more at www.mdsinc.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.

SOURCE: MDS Pharma Services