SRI International Acquires Quality Clinical Labs (QCL)

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- April 24, 2006 -- SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, today announced that it has acquired Quality Clinical Labs (QCL). QCL is the only commercial laboratory of its type in California performing clinical pathology analyses in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations.

Founded in 1997, QCL specializes in clinical hematology and chemistry evaluations, which are a key component of the preclinical safety studies required by the U.S. FDA in the development of new drugs. The company serves approximately 50 biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients throughout the San Francisco Bay area, including SRI.

"The clinical pathology work performed by QCL is an important addition to the comprehensive preclinical services that SRI provides its clients," said Jon Mirsalis, Ph.D., managing director of SRI's Biosciences Division. "This was a natural extension of our long relationship with QCL. We are tremendously pleased to integrate QCL into our organization and welcome QCL staff to SRI."

"QCL's partnership with SRI will offer our clients valuable benefits," said Christina Tang, Director of QCL. "SRI is a nonprofit institute fully committed to bringing its innovations to the marketplace and to patients.  In addition, they have resources for growth, a comprehensive range of services, and a reputation for quality.   Together we will continue to provide clients with a comprehensive set of high-value services."

Ms. Tang will continue to lead the QCL team, which will operate under its present name and from its current location in Mountain View, California.

The SRI Biosciences Division is a unique organization of nearly 200 people, with all of the resources necessary to take chemical and biological research programs from "idea to IND" from initial discovery to the approval to start human clinical trials.   The Biosciences Division performs basic research on disease mechanisms, like an academic institution; drug discovery and the development of biologics, like a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company; and full-service preclinical contract research and development, like a CRO (contract research organization).  

Within the Biosciences Division is one of the largest preclinical CROs in the United States. SRI is a major provider of services to the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies, as well as commercial organizations in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

To date, SRI has developed nine drugs internally that have entered clinical trials, several of which have reached the marketplace, with several more currently undergoing preclinical evaluation. Additionally, working with government and industry partners, SRI has helped advance over 100 drugs into clinical trials and over 30 drugs onto the market. Through collaborations with other divisions at SRI, Biosciences is also working at the interfaces of science to create technical platforms for the next generation of drug discovery and development in areas such as drug delivery, real-time diagnostics, and systems biology.

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About SRI International

Silicon Valley-based SRI International (www.sri.com) is one of the world’s leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for 60 years. The nonprofit research institute performs client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, and private foundations. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships, and creates spin-off companies.