Clinical trial company Q2 Solutions to open medicines facility in US

Clinical trial laboratory services organisation Q2 Solutions is set to open a new facility in Durham County, North Carolina, US to help develop the next generation of precision medicines.

The project will involve an investment of $73m and is expected to bring a total of 749 jobs to the region over seven years.

For the Translational Sciences and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), the company collaborated with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) to expand its genomics capabilities.

Q2 Solutions’ expansion of the Genomics Center of Excellence in North Carolina will improve its ability to provide new genomic testing in North America.

Furthermore, it will enable harmonised genomic testing in the company’s clinical trials globally.

TSAIL will enable customers to access services such as biomarker assay development, data analytics, digital innovations, and novel technologies evaluation under one roof.

It creates a path to avoid challenges associated with moving biomarkers and technologies from discovery into clinical trials, playing a major role on the drug development acceleration.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: “In the fight against disease, innovative research companies like Q2 Solutions get the data to make life-changing drugs available to people who need it faster and safer, and we are proud of our state’s role to help them do that work.”

The company received support from the North Carolina Department of Commerce for its site evaluation and decision-making process.

Q2 Solutions CEO Brian O’Dwyer said: “To complement the expansion in genomics, we are also creating a dedicated Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory, which will provide flexible, rapid and tailored assay development and testing laboratories for our customers who are increasingly seeking to utilise novel translational biomarkers across development programmes.”