Quintiles Transnational Corp. today announced the extension of its Asia operations with the opening of an office in Hanoi, Vietnam. “Vietnam is an increasingly important market in the region, with its population of 80 million, a strong educational system and a robust healthcare industry,” said Michael Stibilj, Executive Director, Clinical Development Services, Southeast Asia. “Economic growth in Vietnam has been averaging more than 7.5% over the past 10 years.” In addition to its large population, Vietnam has an urban hospital infrastructure comparable to other Southeast Asian countries, doctors who have trained in Europe or the U.S., and tremendous motivation to participate in international clinical trials, Stibilj said. The Vietnam Ministry of Health recently issued a revised set of guidelines for the conduct of clinical trials, thereby setting a consistent regulatory framework for clinical trials. Quintiles will also work closely with the Vietnam Ministry of Health to increase the number of sites trained in Good Clinical Practice, which are the regulatory standards designed to assure the accuracy of information obtained in clinical trials while protecting the rights and confidentiality of patients and other volunteers participating in the trials. Stibilj added, “The opening of our representative office shows our commitment to our customers wanting to work in Vietnam and to the development of the clinical research industry in Vietnam and the region.” Quintiles emphasizes local language skills, clinical knowledge and regulatory expertise, so Vietnamese clinical research monitors will be employed by Quintiles in Vietnam, he said.
