Assign Clinical Research, headquartered in Vienna, Austria and specialized in the conduct of complex patient studies, has joined Celerion, a provider of early clinical research.

The combination further expands the Celerion global presence and capabilities in the conduct of complex early clinical studies. Assign conducts early stage clinical studies, as well as specialized later stage studies, across a broad range of therapeutic areas with a particular focus in oncology, vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, personalized medicine and autoimmune disorders. The company specializes in difficult-to-recruit clinical studies through relationships with study centers located across 30 countries.

The addition of these capabilities demonstrates Celerion’s strategic focus in responding to clients’ challenges in drug development. With the increasing importance of incorporating patients earlier into clinical research programs, Celerion’s strengthened service offerings in early phase patient studies provide clients with better information, faster to reach go/no-go development decisions on new drug candidates.

“Assign perfectly complements Celerion’s services in early clinical development,” said Susan Thornton, Ph.D., president and CEO at Celerion. “I am excited to bring two industry leaders together to provide our clients with a highly specialized suite of services which strengthens our competencies in Applied Translational Medicine. The talent and scientific expertise at Assign combined with that of Celerion deepens our position as the global leader in early clinical research.” 

“There is a strong cultural fit with Assign Clinical Research and Celerion,” said Klaus Fischer, Ph.D., CEO at Assign. “Both companies are committed to delivering on our clients’ ever-evolving needs in the conduct of complex clinical studies. I look forward to joining the Celerion team to integrate our services and offer clients access to the largest and the most comprehensive global early stage CRO.”