Several Contract Research Organizations have formed a CRO Service Alliance (CROSA) in Shanghai's Zhangjiang HiTech Park. According to a press report, this is a first for China and is intended to take advantage of "specialized expertise from the three CRO companies to provide efficient and high quality CRO services in all related fields for drug discovery and development of clients worldwide."

The CROs that have formed the alliance are Sundia MediTech Co. Ltd., United PharmaTech Ltd. and HD Biosciences. The alliance will act as a single entity in the CRO market, and will explore ways to cooperate even closer in the future. "Allying with United PharmaTech and HD BioSciences is the best way to quickly and successfully expand our business into the complete range of CRO services to fit the increased demands from our clients world wide while maintaining high quality and efficiency and minimizing cost," said Sundia's chief executive officer Dr. Xiaochuan Wang. "It will change the landscape of China's pharmaceutical CRO industry.

The companies will provide services in new pharmaceuticals synthesis, lead optimization, molecular bio-assay development and tests, in vitro and in vivo PK/ADME research, and cGMP-required intermediates and API for clinical trials, according to HD Biosciences' chief executive officer and president Dr. Xuehai Tan.

"The current CRO industry in China is unique. Pharmaceutical companies in developed countries desperately need new drugs, but cannot afford the prohibitive cost of research in their home countries," said United PharmaTech's chief executive officer Dr. Xiongwei Shi. "Their best option is to outsource R&D work."

Sundia MediTech, United PharmaTech and HD BioSciences were all founded between 2002-04 in Shanghai by veterans of U.S. pharmaceutical companies to provide drug discovery and development CRO services in different stages and fields.