Quintiles has appointed  Dr  Oren Cohen, as senior vice president and global head of its phase I clinical research division, which includes its  facilities in Overland Park, Kansas (US), London (UK) and Hyderabad  (India).

Cohen will leverage Quintiles’ breadth of clinical trial services and deep expertise in biomarker development to provide sponsors with an integrated early clinical development platform that reduces overall study costs, simplifies trial management and accelerates development, while ensuring quality and patient safety, stated a company release.

“Oren brings in a clinical and scientific expertise from his tenure as Quintiles’ chief medical and scientific officer (CMSO),” said Paula Brown Stafford, president of Quintiles Clinical Development.

Dr. Cohen received his MD from Duke University School of Medicine, and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at The New York Hospital,  Cornell Medical Center.  He completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and then held several scientific and administrative positions within NIAID.  Cohen joined Quintiles as a medical advisor in 2001 and was appointed CMSO in 2004.  He is Consulting Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and is a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

“The phase I clinical research space is changing rapidly, with fewer new molecules entering development and a fundamental shift in target study populations from healthy volunteers to patient groups. Biopharma companies are looking for an ally to help them manage these complexities, ensure patient safety and reduce costs, and Quintiles offers early clinical development solutions to meet our customers’ needs,” said Dr Cohen.