Quintiles and Biogen Idec form comprehensive clinical development partnership

The two companies have struck an agreement for Quintiles to manage essentially all of Biogen Idec’s (Cambridge, MA) clinical studies, including global trial programs. Ultimately, says Stacie Yonkin, SVP and managing director at Quintiles, “We want a collaboration such that when Quintiles and Biogen Idec managers get together, it will be hard to distinguish who’s at one company and who’s at the other.” Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The two companies already work together on a number of trials, and several ongoing studies will be transitioned to Quintiles. Yonkin says that there will be a team of Quintiles employees dedicated to the client. With a global workforce of 28,000, however, she does not expect a bump in Quintiles staffing.

“What attracted us to Quintiles was their depth and breadth of experience, which we believe will enhance the design, planning and operational elements of our clinical programs," said Alfred Sandrock, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Biogen-Idec. The company lists 49 open studies at ClinicalTrials.gov, mostly concentrated on neurodegenerative, hematologic and autoimmune diseases. It also has an investigator-initiated study program. Fiscal-year 2013 revenue was just under $7 billion.