Covance Receives Highest Level of Phase I Accreditation
Leeds clinic receives MHRA accreditation for providing highest level of clinical trial patient safety

PRINCETON, NJ, July 30, 2009 — Covance Inc. today announced that it has received standard and supplementary accreditation for the conduct of clinical pharmacology in Europe by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This voluntary accreditation process provides clinical trial volunteers and sponsors with confidence that research facilities and studies meet the industry's highest safety standards.

This accreditation was awarded to Covance's clinical research unit in Leeds, United Kingdom, where the company conducts first-in-human studies, including trials requiring a review of risk factors by the Expert Advisory Group.

"Covance delivers the highest level of data quality and patient safety for first-in-human trials, which is confirmed by the MHRA accreditation," said Rob Aspbury, M.D., managing director, clinical research services, Covance. "As an industry leader in clinical pharmacology, Covance provides superior experience and expertise in study design and conduct to support today's increasingly complex first-in-human trials."

MHRA accreditation was introduced to ensure the highest level of patient safety for early clinical development by providing more information about trial facilities. The process includes formal routine inspections that provide additional scope and depth to existing procedures for good clinical practice inspections.

Covance's clinical pharmacology expertise includes full-time physicians, clinical pharmacologists, registered pharmacists and more than 30 Advanced Life Support (ALS) trained nurses. The industry leader in the conduct of clinical pharmacology studies, Covance offers more than 500 beds across nine Phase I clinics located in the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

Источник: wwwcovance.com