PRA International, a global CRO, opened a phase I facility in Budapest, Hungary that will provide “unit-on-demand” service.

Situated in a new hospital, the unit contains eight beds and is designed for phase I patient studies. The new phase I unit is accredited, meets Hungarian requirements, and enhances PRA’s ability to provide early-phase services in Hungary.

This opening improves PRA’s ability to accommodate increasing demand from sponsors to conduct phase I trials in patients earlier and more often. Like other PRA facilities in Central and Eastern Europe, the Budapest unit will use its innovative unit-on-demand business model that brings a phase I center to patients.

This model establishes a phase I study environment in central medical facilities that specialize in the treatment of the target patient population. Physicians can recruit high volumes of patients using extensive networks of referring specialists and general practitioners. The studies occur in single-center and multinational settings.