Quintiles Transnational Corp. plans to open a central lab in Mumbai, India to expand its global network of labs that support global and regional clinical trials. The new lab is expected to be ready in the first quarter of 2007. The lab is located in Leela Business Park in Mumbai together with Quintiles’ core clinical research and electrocardiogram (ECG) businesses.

Ferzaan Engineer, chief executive officer of Quintiles India, said the new lab in Mumbai will contribute to the continued growth of the regional business. “Since its inception in 1997, our core clinical research business has grown exponentially due to strong customer demand for quality investigator sites in India,” said Mr. Engineer. “The new central laboratory in Mumbai will enhance the suite of services we offer in India, which include ECG, interactive voice response (IVR) and data management services as well as clinical research.” The India company has about 675 employees in offices in Bangalore, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The Mumbai lab will provide access to Quintiles laboratory kits, ensure all study samples are processed and completed using consistent methods and will oversee the data transfer for inclusion in the company’s Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and the protocol-specific database.