Bilcare, India's largest research-based pharmaceuticals packaging company, has bought UK-based clinical trials services (CTS) provider DHP in a bid to build itself up to be one of the few players in this sector with global servicing capability.

The company said it is particularly focused on expanding its service offerings into European based companies, so the $5m (€4m) purchase of DHP is a major strategic step in helping the firm fulfil this goal, and follows the recent opening of a subsidiary in Frankfurt - its first operation in Europe.

Last year Bilcare ambitiously expressed its desire to “become the world leader in the pharmaceutical packaging industry by 2010” and undertook its first venture to spread its global wings through the acquisition of ProClinical, an established clinical trials services and packaging company in Pennsylvania, US, as well as obtaining similar capabilities in Singapore and Brazil.

“With the latest UK acquisition, Bilcare completes a full circle in establishing global clinical trial services,” said Mohan Bhandari, chairman and managing director of Bilcare.

“Clinical trial services are one of the most critical activities in the pharma value chain.”

The new addition to the business brings core expertise in the manufacture, packaging (including design, randomisation and label printing), storage, global distribution countback and destruction services of investigational drugs and clinical trials supplies.

According to Bhandari, DHP has an annual turnover of $3m and a client list of multinational pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations (CROs), publicly funded clinical research teams and National Health Service (NHS) trusts.

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