Contract research organisation Quintiles has acquired Profiad, a market-leading site management organisation, giving it access to the Reading-based firm clinical investigator network.

Profiad is a full service site management organisation that boasts the largest professionally-managed network of experienced investigators in the UK, with over 120 primary care sites and partnerships with 20 secondary care NHS Trusts.

Jane Eisner, senior vice president access to patients services, Quintiles, said: "At Quintiles we are developing a full range of access to patient solutions including the use of call centres and the use of advertising and clinical trial awareness campaigns. This acquisition represents an important step in another of these - the development of partner sites across Western Europe."

The acquisition will add to Quintiles' existing UK SMO network of sites, which mainly consists of Glasgow-based Minerva Medical's 100 GP and 10 secondary care sites across the UK.

Quintiles' head of UK patient recruitment Paul Evans, whose other responsibilities include Minerva, will assume management duties for Profiad.

Profiad was founded by former GP Dr Hywel Thomas in 1997 and was the UK's first network site management organisation.

Profiad and Quintiles had previously worked together through an alliance where Quintiles was supplied with medical personnel for commercial services such as representative training and market research. 

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pharmafocus@wiley.co.uk