Altasciences announced the completion of the acquisition of a preclinical testing business in Everett, Washington. This transaction will support Altasciences’ goal of being a mid-sized CRO that will provide talent and scale to support the preclinical and clinical markets while creating a new outsourcing paradigm for its clients.

“Our vision is to become the first CRO to build a service offering allowing for multiple points of entry that flows seamlessly from lead candidate selection to proof of concept. We now have more than 1,300 staff members in two countries working together to bring our customers the best possible services,” said Steve Mason, executive vice president, Site Operations, at Altasciences.

Altasciences also confirmed today three key additions to the Seattle team who already boast significant expertise in preclinical testing. Michael Broadhurst has joined Altasciences as General Manager, Preclinical Safety Testing Operations; Francis Douville has joined as Vice President, Operations; and Julie Forget has joined as Director, Toxicology, and will oversee the Study Director group.

“We specifically hand-picked experienced individuals with whom we worked alongside for many years, back when Charles River in Montreal was known as CTBR. It was essential that we hire people that share our culture and values, and particularly our focus on delivering expert guidance with exceptional customer service. In addition, all three hires understand the importance of integrating our services to provide a coordinated outsourcing experience,” said Chris Perkin, chief executive officer at Altasciences.