BURLINGTON, N.C.– Labcorp® (NYSE: LH), a leading global life sciences company, today announced an expansion of its automated clinical trial kit production line in Mechelen, Belgium. Once completed, expansion will allow for clinical trial test kits to be fulfilled in Mechelen for more than 70 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). This is up from 27 countries in 2021. The company’s industry-leading central laboratory services unit is part of Labcorp Drug Development.
“This added capacity, a key component of our global growth and expansion strategy, supports our customers’ needs for faster, more convenient clinical trial testing and delivery across EMEA,” said Jonathan DiVincenzo, president of the Clinical Trial Testing Solutions group at Labcorp Drug Development. “Building up our capabilities in Mechelen means that investigators will experience more flexibility in ordering times and improved regional turnaround times.”
The expanded, automated line is housed in Labcorp Drug Development’s European Operations Center, a multi-use facility responsible for kit production as well as study logistics and support and dry ice production and distribution. Since opening in March 2021, this site has produced more than 1.1 million trial kits for clinical research across Europe in support of studies in oncology, diabetes, kidney disease and autoimmune conditions. Kit production follows the same global standard operating procedures across Europe and the United States, so sponsors and investigators will continue to receive the industry-leading specimen collection kits they already associate with Labcorp Central Laboratory Services regardless of where they are produced.
“Finding innovative ways to help our pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers bring transformational therapies to the patients who need them quickly and safely is critical,” said Dr. Paul Kirchgraber, CEO of Labcorp Drug Development. “The European Operations Center expands Labcorp Central Laboratory Services’ capacity and supports future business growth for the enterprise. It builds on our business continuity infrastructure, providing additional flexibility in the event of disruptions or unexpected surges in demand.”
The expansion of the facility in Mechelen follows the recent expansions of Labcorp Drug Development’s Central Laboratories in Geneva, Switzerland, Los Angeles and Singapore, providing enhanced support for global clinical trials.
