RALEIGH, N.C.—INC Research Holdings Inc., a leading global Phase 1 to 4 contract research organization (CRO), announced in June the expansion and relocation of its Tokyo office in support of the company’s long-term growth strategy both in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Our continued expansion in Tokyo demonstrates our commitment to becoming the global ‘CRO of Choice’ within this vibrant pharmaceutical market for regional and global clinical trials,” says Dr. Miranda Porter, senior vice president of clinical development at INC Research in Tokyo, who provides overall leadership for the company’s Japan operations. “Our employees provide global expertise within our therapeutically aligned delivery model while providing local experience and knowledge of Japan’s regulatory, healthcare and cultural environments. Our continued expansion in the country is making a strong contribution to INC’s overall growth.”
In the last two-and-a-half years, INC Research’s operations in Tokyo have rapidly outgrown the company’s existing offices due to a more than fourfold increase in headcount. “The new office [in] Tokyo will support expansion of INC’s presence in Japan and the Asia/Pacific region, enabling the company to better accommodate our global drug development customers in the region,” Porter says, adding, “Japan is a key region of growth for INC Research and our industry. As of 2015, Japan’s CRO market was valued at $1.3 billion and rapidly growing. We are focused on ... continuing to grow in this key region with expanded service offerings that range from full service to functional service provider to fit-for-purpose solutions. Teams at both the Osaka and Tokyo offices offer decades of experience managing clinical trials within Japan across a wide array of therapeutic indications, with notable experience in central nervous system and general medicine and oncology clinical development.”
INC Research’s lease for the new Tokyo location includes some of the most spacious office floors in Japan, measuring approximately 16,273 square feet. The state-of-the-art Shinagawa Season Terrace, constructed in 2015, houses nearly 20 cafes and restaurants and includes vast stretches of lawn for recreational activities and events.
“Like most of our facilities across INC’s global footprint, the Shinagawa Terrace provides a modern and convenient working space, complete with multiple amenities for supporting customer meetings and adjacent space for relaxation,” continues Porter. “By maintaining our location in proximity to Shinagawa Station, we are able to provide an ideal workspace for our existing employees while remaining highly competitive in attracting best-in-class talent who want to work for a global company.”
“We have approximately 100 employees in the new building, and we are currently hiring for clinical trial associates, clinical research associates, project managers, project directors, pharmacovigilance, medical affairs and data management professionals,” Porter says.
INC Research’s expansion in Japan builds on its existing 19 offices throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, INC Research operates from offices in China, India, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and New Zealand.
The company has a long history of providing Phase 1 to 4 clinical development services in the Asia-Pacific region, conducting nearly 1,200 studies across a broad range of therapeutic areas. INC Research’s unique approach to the Japanese market leverages the company’s established global expertise, innovative Trusted Process project management methodology and strong site relationships. Local operations also feature English-speaking management and regulatory and therapeutic staff with experience delivering quality trials with full-service capabilities that balance innovation and respect for Japan-specific nuances. In addition to having a bilingual leadership team based in Japan, INC Research employs both project management and clinical research associate staff in all key service areas, including real world and late phase, medical devices, study startup, biometrics, biostatistics, project management, medical monitoring, safety and pharmacovigilance, medical writing and quality assurance.
“As a full-service, global CRO, INC Research understands the value of having globally integrated services within Japan requiring that our employees in Japan communicate with colleagues, investigative sites and sponsors across multiple regions,” says Porter. “As the clinical trial market moves increasingly toward multiregional clinical trials and trials driven from within the Asia-Pacific region, a high-quality delivery model in Japan is key for helping our clients bring important new therapies to patient who need them, around the world.”
