ICON has acquired a 33,000-sq.-ft. Phase I facility in Omaha, NE from the former Qualia Clinical Services, Inc., with a capacity of as many as 100 beds.

“This latest acquisition supports our strategy of expanding our Phase I capabilities in the U.S. and brings our total bed capacity there to approximately 225 beds,” commented Dr. Thomas Frey, president, ICON Development Solutions. “We have acquired an excellent facility and we have put in place an experienced team that will ensure the delivery of quality clinical pharmacology services to clients.”

The company has appointed Dr. Gary Curtis as senior vice president, Global Clinical Pharmacology. Dr. Curtis will integrate the Omaha facility with ICON's existing Phase I units. ICON has also hired key clinical operational staff from Qualia to support the integration.

Dr. Curtis joins the company after spending almost 20 years with MDS Pharma Services where he was responsible for operational execution, strategic growth and integration of MDS' global early phase business units. Dr. Curtis' expertise in early phase clinical operations on a global scale will complement ICON's existing scientific clinical pharmacology leadership, according to a company statement.