Dublin, Ireland-based contract research organization (CRO) ICON opened an office in Manila, Philippines, to support the company’s growth in Asia-Pacific.

ICON has more than 800 employees in Asia-Pac countries and has operated in the region for 13 years.  CEO Peter Gray called the region a “key market” for ICON, which has a presence in 14 Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Philippines’ large population, coupled with the country’s well-established network of hospitals, physicians and investigators has made it an attractive location for our clients, and one which we have supported for a number of years through home-based employees,” Gray said. “Investing in local support and infrastructure through the office in Manila will ensure that we can support future client demand as they increasingly look to include Asia in their drug development programs.”

The company also has two central laboratories in Singapore and Bangalore, India.