SGS has expanded its pharmaceutical bioanalysis capabilities in France with a 500 m2 extension to its Saint-Benoît laboratory near Poitiers, taking the site's total modernised footprint to nearly 4500 m2.
The investment, SGS said in a statement, is intended to increase analytical capacity, accommodate rising sample volumes and enable the laboratory to handle increasingly complex preclinical and clinical development programmes — achieved using "new technologies with optimised workflows."
The Saint-Benoît site has more than 35 years of experience in pharmaceutical bioanalysis and supports drug developers from preclinical studies through to clinical trials.
Its capabilities include quantifying small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, biologics, ADCs and RNA-based products, alongside pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) analysis, immunogenicity testing, biomarker assessment and radioimmunoassay.
Supporting increasingly complex drug pipelines
The expansion comes as pharma pipelines are becoming increasingly diverse, with developers working across conventional small molecules as well as biologics and more complex modalities.
Bioanalytical testing generates data needed to understand drug exposure, biological response and potential immune responses during development, making lab capacity and validated analytical methods important to clinical programme timelines.
SGS already operates a global network of bioanalytical labs and says its services cover early regulatory preclinical studies through to Phase I-IV clinical programmes.
Its broader bioanalytical offering includes assay development, method transfer and validation, PK bioanalysis and biomarker testing.
France's National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) has previously recognised the company's GLP compliance at its labs.
Automation and academic collaboration
SGS said the expanded site will continue to develop its use of automation and digitalisation, alongside collaboration with academic partners.
In 2025, SGS and the University of Poitiers formalised a partnership covering areas including chemistry, bioanalysis and life sciences.
The relationship is intended to support scientific innovation as well as training and development opportunities for future life sciences professionals.
Walid Elbast, Director of the Saint-Benoît laboratory, said the investment would enable the site to support larger studies, growing sample volumes and more complex bioanalytical programmes while maintaining data quality and turnaround times.
This expansion marks an important milestone for the Saint-Benoît laboratory and reinforces our commitment to supporting increasingly complex bioanalytical programmes.
"Through our strong ties with local academic and institutional partners, we are also helping to create new opportunities for future scientists in an environment focused on innovation and excellence."
The latest expansion also builds on a previous major investment at the site: SGS completed an 800 m2 extension in 2021, taking the laboratory to approximately 3900 m2 at the time.
