Covance has opened new clinical development offices in Seoul and Mumbai and has expanded offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong to accommodate growing demand for clinical development services in Asia-Pacific.

The new clinical development office in Seoul will help Covance further increase patient access in the region, while supporting its regional network of field-based CRAs throughout Asia-Pacific. The new Mumbai office will function as the main clinical trial support hub for the Indian sub-continent.

The company has provided clinical trial support in Asia-Pacific for more than two decades, starting with offices in Australia and then Singapore. Operations expanded quickly with the set up of a clinical development office in Beijing, China and a second office in Shanghai, offering both clinical and central laboratory services.

Covance expanded existing clinical development offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan to increase service capacity. The Tokyo office expansion provides additional capacity for both clinical development and central laboratory services, including sales, administration, and kit customization for the Japanese market.

“Our new Asia-Pacific offices support our global expansion strategy, which targets the most qualified investigators and appropriate patient populations in a region that is increasingly important to clinical trials,” said Nick Wright, Covance’s vice president and general manager, clinical development services Asia-Pacific. “These offices will help us increase our clients’ Phase II/III clinical trial productivity by providing additional capacity to execute clinical studies with a full range of services.”

“Covance is committed to delivering outstanding drug development services and building deeper strategic relationships with our clients,” said Rick Cimino, Covance’s president, clinical development services. “To enable us to meet this commitment and provide more effective clinical trial solutions, we have significantly expanded our presence in emerging markets in 2009 by opening nine new offices in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.”