Nucleus Network has welcomed its acquisition of Q-Pharm, a 62-bed dedicated early-phase clinical trial facility based in the Herston health precinct in Brisbane, that was previously owned by the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.
Nucleus Network, which is one of Australia’s leading clinical trials businesses, conducts early-phase trials on behalf of global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Q-Pharm was founded in 2002 as a specialist early-phase clinical trials unit. QIMR Berghofer acquired full ownership of Q-Pharm in 2014.
According to Nucleus Network CEO Cameron Johnson, “Q-Pharm has a long and successful history of conducting complex early phase trials on behalf of the global biopharmaceutical industry in a safe and ethical manner.
“We believe that this expertise, as well as its links with the medical research community at Herston, make Q-Pharm a natural fit with the Nucleus Network business. In particular, Q-Pharm are recognised world leaders in malaria challenge models and infectious diseases. We look forward to further building upon this capability.
“Trials conducted by both Nucleus and Q-Pharm provide a critical step in ensuring the safety and efficacy of new drugs prior to launch into the market place. Australia is receiving growing international recognition as a location for early phase clinical trials due to the efficiency and pragmatism of its regulatory approval processes and global best practice quality of research.
“The combination of Nucleus and Q-Pharm has created Australia’s only multi-site dedicated phase I clinical research organisation. We recognise that our customers are under pressure to meet increasingly tight participant recruitment timelines, particularly for large studies like biosimilars. We believe that the ability to offer a multi-site solution, recruiting participants more efficiently across both Brisbane and Melbourne, will give our customers a powerful competitive advantage.
“We are committed to continuing Q-Pharm’s contribution to the medical research community and to attracting more trials to Queensland through greater investment in the company. We are excited about this important step for the broader Nucleus business and look forward to working with and welcoming the Q-Pharm team.”
“We appreciate the work of QIMR Berghofer’s management and staff in supporting the growth of Q-Pharm to its current stage. We look forward to potential research collaborations with QIMR Berghofer, particularly in the Institute’s core research areas like malaria and other infectious diseases.”