Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Labcorp®, a leading global life sciences company, has announced the expansion of its automated clinical trial kit production line in Mechelen, Belgium. The expansion aims to meet the growing demand for clinical trial test kits across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Once completed, the expanded facility will serve more than 70 countries in the region, a significant increase from the 27 countries served in 2021. Labcorp Drug Development's central laboratory services unit is responsible for this industry-leading initiative.
Jonathan DiVincenzo, president of the Clinical Trial Testing Solutions group at Labcorp Drug Development, highlighted the significance of this expansion, stating, "This increased capacity is a crucial part of our global growth and expansion strategy, enabling us to meet our customers' needs for faster and more convenient clinical trial testing and delivery throughout EMEA. By bolstering our capabilities in Mechelen, we can provide investigators with greater flexibility in ordering times and improved regional turnaround times."
The expanded automated production line is located within Labcorp Drug Development's European Operations Center, a versatile facility that handles kit production, study logistics and support, and dry ice production and distribution. Since its opening in March 2021, the center has produced over 1.1 million trial kits to support clinical research in Europe, specifically in the fields of oncology, diabetes, kidney disease, and autoimmune conditions. The kit production process adheres to consistent global standard operating procedures across Europe and the United States. As a result, sponsors and investigators can expect the same high-quality specimen collection kits from Labcorp Central Laboratory Services, regardless of where they are produced.
Dr. Paul Kirchgraber, CEO of Labcorp Drug Development, emphasized the company's commitment to supporting pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers in delivering transformative therapies to patients efficiently and safely. He stated, "The expansion of our European Operations Center enhances the capacity of Labcorp Central Laboratory Services and facilitates future business growth for the enterprise. It strengthens our business continuity infrastructure, providing additional flexibility to handle disruptions or unexpected surges in demand."
The expansion in Mechelen follows recent expansions of Labcorp Drug Development's Central Laboratories in Geneva, Switzerland, Los Angeles, and Singapore, further enhancing support for global clinical trials.
