Bioanalytical services firm Alliance Pharma says it will open a laboratory in Brisbane, Australia, citing new clinical trial tax incentives as an opportunity.
The lab – which Alliance says will be operational in three months – will be a 20,000-square-foot purpose-built facility that will provide analytical development services to small and large molecule drug developers.
Specifically, the facility will be kitted out with LC-MS, ligand binding, flow cytometry, ELISpot and PCR instrumentation to support early and late phase research. Another aim is to provide capacity for de novo method development, method transfers, method validation and sample analysis for pharmacokinetic (PK), biomarkers and immunogenicity.
Alliance CCO Vito Saccente said the move was prompted in part by the growing Australian early phase clinical trial sector.
“With the speed to start Phase I studies, quality of clinical sites and a favorable Australian R&D tax credit, Australia is an optimal market for early phase clinical research.
“Alliance will not only be able to provide services critical to this market, but also when these compounds move to Phase II, we are well-positioned to transfer methods without losing critical knowledge and can continue to support the progression of clinical development for our clients.”
In April, the Australian Government introduced tax incentives to try and encourage smaller drug developers to carry out trials in the country.
The so called “determination” provides “stakeholders with greater certainty and reduce their compliance and administrative burden when registering activities that fall under the determination,” the Government said.
According to accountancy organization WilliamBuck the scheme can provide a refundable tax incentive up to 43.5% - and in rarer cases 48.5% - of eligible R&D expenditure for companies with an aggregated turnover below $20 million.
News of the new lab follows just months after Ampersand-backed Alliance acquired DDS, a UK-based Bioanalytical Business Unit of LGC.
The deal also saw the UK group attract US investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. as a major shareholder.
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