The new SEZ center represents a strategic investment for Kendle and demonstrates its commitment to further invest in Asia/Pacific to meet customer needs. The new unit is expected to be operational by mid April.
The SEZ operations center will be focusing on quality delivery of clinical data management, medical writing, pharmacovigilance/safety, biostatistics/programming and other knowledge processing-related services, all integrated under one roof.
Kendle’s SEZ operations center initially will house approximately 50 associates and is expected to scale up to approximately 300 associates in the near term. The unit is positioned to further expand very quickly if necessary to meet customer demand. The geography of the unit, in close proximity to multiple universities as well as the modern city of Ahmedabad, is expected to provide a untapped talent pool ideal for building and expanding a high-tech workforce.
By 2012, analysts project that more than 65% of all FDA-regulated trials will take place outside the US. This is reflected in the Indian biotechnology market, which is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 30%, and the Indian CRO market, which is expected to see growth of 49% annually.
Stephen Cutler, senior vice president and chief operating officer, said: “Continued expansion throughout the Asia/Pacific region is crucial to the future growth of Kendle. Our increased capacity in the region will allow us to better meet the growing demands of our customers who are seeking to capitalize on India’s rapidly expanding high-quality biopharmaceutical capabilities.
“The new SEZ operations center will be ideally suited to deliver best-in-class services to our customers seeking high-quality, innovative and cost-effective solutions for their clinical development needs.”