6th March 2013

March Member of the Month: Simbec Research

Simbec Research, based in Merthyr Tydfil, was founded in 1976 and is one of Europe’s leading clinical contract research organisations (CRO). Simbec’s focus is in the conduct of experimental pharmacology specialising in First in Human studies, conducting phase I & early proof of concept (Phase IIa) clinical trials. The company possesses extensive facilities for clinical pharmacology, pathology and bioanalytical work all on the one site.

More than 50% of Simbec’s business comes from overseas. Clients range from small biotechs to global pharmaceutical majors. Simbec’s CMO, Dr Salvatore Febbraro and Business Operations Manager, Mr Alan Woodward recently completed a successful 5 day trade mission to the US West Coast, including San Francisco and San Diego.

This Welsh Government-supported mission provided a unique opportunity for Simbec to connect with our clients & key life science sector experts and foster strategic partnerships in the US – Wales’s largest export market. The San Francisco leg of the Trade Mission was led by the First Minister of Wales the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones.

Simbec is a major employer in Merthyr with MHRA Phase I Supplementary Accredited purpose built facilities. Amongst its employees are a high percentage of graduate scientists, including PhDs and physicians. Supporting staff includes qualified nurses and a variety of other technically qualified staff.

Simbec’ 2,000sq m clinical centre houses a 58 bed clinical Pharmacology Unit, a 560m Administrative Centre and a 790 sq m Analytical Centre.

 

Other departments include Data Management, Quality Assurance, an MA (IMP) licenced Pharmacy and a state of the art Bioanalytical Unit. Simbec’s accredited Pathology Laboratory is responsible for safety laboratory testing.

Through the years, the Simbec team has evolved its Phase I/IIa services, focusing on the specialty offerings needed for some of the most challenging drugs and indications in development. This focus has enabled us to develop significant practical expertise in many therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology, dermatology and respiratory disease. Many recent First in Human studies are for new drugs targeted for diseases of an ageing population such as diabetes, MS, Alzheimer and Parkinsons. To fulfil the needs of its sponsors Simbec collaborates with life science companies, and academic and National Health Service Institutions particularly in South Wales and the west of England to gain access to complementary specialised expertise.

Simbec is renowned for our attention to the safety of the study participants. FIH studies are the most critical in the early stage development process and sponsors need to work with a CRO that they feel confident will ensure participants are carefully monitored and their compound is also given the best opportunity to succeed and progress.

After over 35 years in business, Simbec Research has planned and conducted more than 1500 early phase clinical studies within a wide range of therapeutic areas. Simbec is dedicated to quality and Simbec’s expertise in the conduct of experimental human pharmacology is world‐renowned.