NEW YORK – Laboratory Corporation of America said after the close of market on Tuesday that it is expanding its Japanese CB Trial Laboratory, a drug development facility co-managed by Labcorp and Japanese clinical laboratory testing firm BML.
The partners are building a new facility in Kawagoe, Japan, near BML's General Laboratory and the current CB Trial Laboratory that will provide more than 4,000 square meters of space for clinical trials managed by Labcorp Drug Development.
The new facility will expand by fivefold the existing CB Trial Lab space and provide new capabilities including genomics, microbiology, and companion diagnostics and expand existing offerings including flow cytometry, immunology, anatomic pathology, and histology.
"Labcorp Drug Development remains committed to growing its Japanese operations and services through continued expansion and partnerships," Honggang Bi, senior VP and head of Asia-Pacific for Labcorp Drug Development, said in a statement. "Broadening our work with BML and increasing our laboratory footprint means we will be able to offer shorter turnaround times, superior in-country sample management, and full lab testing services for global clinical trials in Japan. This will benefit patients, clients, and healthcare providers by providing them with the information needed to make key decisions."
"In collaborating with Labcorp, we are able to offer our pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients access to both comprehensive clinical laboratory testing and drug development opportunities," Kensuke Kondo, president of BML, said in a statement. "The laboratory expansion provides additional capabilities and capacity and opens the door to enriched services, more resources, and better outcomes for our clients and patients."
Labcorp and BML launched their partnership in 2010 and renewed their agreement in 2020.
The expanded facility is scheduled for completion in 2025.