Clinical trial research company QCTR based on the Park has announced plans to double its size.
The expansion follows its successful bid to win a major £2million plus contract to conduct clinical trials for a new drug that will offer groundbreaking treatment for a neurological genetic disorder.
The contract research organisation will recruit ten clinical research professionals to its staff over the next year.
Company managing director and founder Susan McGoldrick said the young Stirling company had to beat off stiff international competition to win the contract.
The work for a Scandinavian pharmaceutical company will take two years to complete and involve collecting and analysing data from 400 patients participating in the trials. The patients involved in the project are receiving their treatment in eight countries across Europe.
“Winning this contract is major step forward in the development of our company. We operate in a global market place where the competition is intense, “explained Susan McGoldrick.
She added: “Because of the pan European nature of the contract the people we employ will have language skills to complement their professional abilities. We are building a high value, knowledge driven team here in Stirling that can compete with the best in the world.
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Highlighting a key element of their successful contract bid, Susan said:” We could not have won this important piece of work if we had not been based at Stirling University Innovation Park. The administrative support and facilities we were able to call upon during the bid process were excellent. Management and staff at the Park displayed the utmost competence in working with us. The entire package of support we received enabled us to project an image of professionalism normally associated with a much larger company and was central to our success.
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QCTR was founded by Susan McGoldrick and Fiona Duffy in February 2006 when they left Laxdale, a neuroscience development company based at Laurelhill Business Park in Stirling, when it was taken over.
Initially QCTR was based in a tiny incubator unit on Stirling University Innovation Park. Soon after three former Laxdale colleagues joined them when the London based company that had taken over closed their Stirling office.
They now number ten and that will double to 20.
Susan said: “When we took the decision to go it alone professional colleagues said we were taking a big risk. It was. But we knew we had the knowledge and experience to do things differently and give ourselves and advantage in the market place.”
She added: “It is also extremely pleasing to know that what we have done has also provided employment for others.
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Lynn Blaikie, SUIP’s Operations & Business Development Manager, said: “We have a real affinity with QCTR and admiration for their achievements. They started life in one of our incubator units and have continued to expand until they now require three times their original space. They are an excellent example of an ambitious, enterprising and innovative young company with the drive to achieve even greater success. We are delighted to support them and offer our congratulations on their latest achievement.
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Editors Notes
Issued on behalf of SUIP by fs communications.