MPI Research and Shanghai Medicilon today announced a new joint venture to form Medicilon-MPI Preclinical Research.
Located initially at the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, China, the company will open a 50,000 ft preclinical testing facility in the Chuansha Economic Park in early 2008. This new facility will meet the regulatory standards set forth by the US FDA and other regulatory agencies worldwide.
With the joint venture, customers of both parent companies will have the advantage of conducting research at the Shanghai site for preclinical development, with potential for worldwide release. Current and future customers of Medicilon and MPI Research will now have access to a broader range of both GLP and non-GLP preclinical services. By 2009, the new company will be fully operational, in terms of conducting FDA/IND enabling studies, offering additional preclinical support services, submitting INDs and NDAs, and will have AAALAC accreditation.
"With one fourth of the world's population, China is an important force in shaping the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets," says MPI Research's Chairman and CEO, William U. Parfet.
Headquartered in Michigan, US, MPI Research has over 1600 people that provide a comprehensive range of preclinical drug discovery and development research. MPI Research and Medicilon will remain as independent parent companies to the newly formed joint venture.
Shanghai Medicilon was founded in 2004 to provide fully integrated drug discovery services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.