Synexus expands clinical trial facilities in South Africa

Synexus based in Lancashire, UK, is planning to more than double its clinical trial capacity in South Africa through the expansion of its Pretoria facilities and by opening two purposed designed sites in Mamelodi and Soshanguwe.

The recruitment and clinical trials specialist hopes to have the new sites completed by March 2009. The company acquired the clinical trial business CRC SA, in 2006 and has found South Africa to be an excellent place to undertake clinical trials across a wide variety of therapy areas and phases.

Michael Fort ceo of Synexus said: "South Africa has proven to be one of our most successful sites both in terms of achieving high numbers of patients and also in the quality of the trials carried out. We will continue to expand our presence in South Africa."

The Pretoria site is expanding into the adjoining building, which will be converted into a full 562 sq metre clinical trials unit for outpatients. The existing building contains a 36 bed Phase I and IIa trial facility.

Siting of the clinical trial clinics in Mamelodi and Soshanguwe are presently being negotiated with the local authorities.

The Synexus-owned clinical trial units as well as affiliated sites within South Africa are involved in a wide variety of therapeutic areas including paediatric vaccines, osteoporosis, women's health, post operative pain and across Phases II and III.

Synexus recruits participants for clinical trials on behalf of pharmaceutical, biotech and CROs. The clinical trials are then run and managed by Synexus at 12 clinical research centres across the UK, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, India and South Africa.

The company currently has more than ten thousand patients enrolled in clinical trials.