Quintiles Transnational Corp. announced an agreement with the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) in Beijing to expand Quintiles' central laboratory services in China.

The agreement permits Quintiles to use laboratory-testing services within PUMCH's extensive clinical laboratory. PUMCH is one of China's premier academic institutions and a leader in clinical research. Quintiles Laboratories will place staff within PUMCH to provide support services associated with the collection and management of clinical trial specimens for Quintiles' customers. Other laboratory services in support of investigators in China and project management will be provided by Quintiles' facilities in Singapore.

China closely regulates the export of whole blood, including clinical trial samples. With access to the PUMCH laboratories, Quintiles can help customers save valuable time during the clinical trial process.

Neil Ferguson, Managing Director, Quintiles, Greater China, said: "We are very excited about the expansion of our global services. China is an excellent country for clinical research, offering rapid patient recruitment, large patient populations and unique gene pools. We are delighted to be working with such a reputable laboratory and hospital in China. With this agreement, we intend to offer our customers access to a large number of new investigators and patients while effectively managing time requirements and maintaining our consistent high global standards."