SGS Life Science Services announced that is to expand its Shanghai, China, cGMP chemistry and microbiology laboratories to 2,000 square meter by Q2 2015 and will offer new services from the facility, including a new biotechnology laboratory for cytotoxicity testing, cell-based assays, plus endotoxin and ELISA testing. The current 1,500 square meter facility provides services for method development and validation, testing of raw materials, APIs and finished products, as well as testing of Traditional Chinese Medicines.

The expansion program, which is due to commence in August 2014, will also see the introduction of packaging testing, including extractables and leachables, while an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, for USP<233> Elemental Impurities, will also be located within the laboratory. Other new capabilities at the Shanghai site will include a dissolution lab for generic drug stability studies, a mycoplasma lab focused on the biological market, and a highly active compound (HAC) testing laboratory to meet growing market demand. In addition to new office space, a drug compatibility study lab, designed to meet regulatory requirements, will also be introduced.

"The investment in the Shanghai facility, and the increased and enhanced service offerings that will result, are essential to our continued expansion in China," commented Andy Yi, General Manager, SGS Life Science Services, Shanghai. He added, "Much of the work that we undertake is on behalf of major multinational customers who demand that their drug and medical device products are subject to the same level of compliance and scrutiny that they would be if they had been manufactured in the West. This expansion will further serve the quality requirements of those customers."

With 21 laboratories offering contract analytical and bioanalytical services, SGS leverages its wholly-owned global network, present in North America, Europe, and Asia, to deliver harmonized solutions to large pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. In addition to testing services for the bio/pharmaceutical market, SGS also provides clinical trial management (Phase I to IV) and services encompassing data management and statistics, PK/PD modeling and simulation, pharmacovigilance and regulatory consultancy.