Clinical research organisation (CRO) Covance is to work with the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) on early-stage clinical trials for its pharma and biotech clients.
Part of Indiana University’s School of Medicine, CTSI will collaborate with the CRO on first-in-man and phase I trials.
Covance said the agreement would provide a significant opportunity to bring more phase I clinical studies to Indiana, combining CTSI’s capabilities in Indianapolis and those of its own Evansville clinical research unit.
Rob Aspbury, vice president and general manager, global clinical pharmacology services at Covance, said: “The alliance with the Indiana CTSI will help us provide biopharmaceutical clients with quicker access to patients in a hospital setting that supports specialised care and monitoring.
“With quicker access to patients, we can streamline the drug development process and bring important new medications to patients who need them.”
The Indiana CTSI is a state-wide collaboration of Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame that aims to help translate scientific discoveries into new patient treatments.
It will provide Covance with access to a 24-patient facility at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis and may expand operations into a recently renovated 50-patient facility in the same building.
Anantha Shekhar, director of the Indiana CTSI, said: “Our mission is to accelerate the rate at which this research travels out of the lab and into the care of the patients who need it. This alliance with Covance will greatly enhance our ability to accomplish this vital work.”