Dublin-based contract research organization (CRO) ICON is preparing to open a new hospital-based translational medicine unit in the UK—the result of a partnership with the Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation (CMFT).

Under the terms of the agreement, signed last summer, ICON will create translational medicine facilities on the newly developed Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) campus. The exclusive agreement, which runs until 2012, will help ICON meet increasing demand for hospital-based first-in-human studies.

The new unit—the first deliverable from the ICON-CMFT collaboration—will open in April, and will include 34 beds, an onsite Good Manufacturing Practices pharmacy, a sample handling laboratory and administrative space. It will be connected to MRI’s Accident and Emergency Department.  The unit will also offer environmentally controlled pharmacodynamic study testing suites.

ICON will develop an additional facility on the MRI campus.

The CRO would not comment on the size of its translational medicine business but said translational research is a growth area.