CRO Covance and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI), part of the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, will collaborate to conduct early clinical trials for new medicines. 

This alliance provides an opportunity to bring more phase I clinical research to Indiana, through the clinical research unit located within the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis and Covance’s clinical research unit located in Evansville.

The two organizations will conduct research for sponsors looking to recruit both healthy volunteers and patients for early clinical studies.

“The alliance with the Indiana CTSI will help us provide biopharmaceutical clients with quicker access to patients in a hospital setting that supports specialized care and monitoring,” said Rob Aspbury, vice president and general manager, global clinical pharmacology services at Covance.  “With quicker access to patients, we can streamline the drug development process and bring important new medications to patients who need them.” 

Services provided by the Indiana CTSI include 24-hour nursing support, in-patient and out-patient facilities, on-site laboratory analyses and professional patient recruitment services. Recruitment efforts are strengthened through robust patient data from the Regenstrief Institute, a partner of the Indiana CTSI that houses the Indiana Network for Patient Care, in which more than 70 Indiana hospitals share nearly 80% of the state’s electronic medical record data.  Additional patient and support services are provided through its affiliation with IU Health.

The alliance between Covance and the Indiana CTSI was facilitated by BioCrossroads, an organization that advances Indiana’s signature strengths in the life sciences by connecting corporations, academic institutions and philanthropic organizations.