Hvivo, the pharmaceutical services company formerly known as Open Orphan, is to move to a new expanded facility in London on the back its “growing orderbook” and increased demand for its trial services.

The company, which specialises in testing infectious and respiratory disease products, has announced plans for a new consolidated facility at the fast-growing life sciences hub in Canary Wharf, London.

The expansion, funded by Hvivo clients, comes in response to the company’s “growing orderbook and increasing demand for its human challenge trial services”.

The new facility will serve as a comprehensive site, housing quarantine bedrooms, advanced laboratories, an outpatient unit, and corporate offices, all conveniently spread across two floors, it said.

It will contain 50 quarantine beds, with potential expansion capabilities to accommodate up to 70 quarantine beds in the future, the company

The company said the new facility’s first phase is anticipated to reach completion in the first quarter of next year, with the full site expected to be operational by the second quarter.

The company’s current Whitechapel and Queen Mary Bioenterprises Centre (QMB) clinics will close in 2024 but will remain fully operational throughout this transition, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery to the company’s clients.

“This strategic relocation to a larger and more sophisticated facility underscores Hvivo’s commitment to advancing research in infectious and respiratory diseases. By leveraging highly secure and specialised state-of-the-art infrastructure and expanding its capabilities, hVIVO aims to make significant strides in the field of human challenge clinical trials,” the company said.

Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan, chief executive of hVIVO, said: “I am excited to share the news of our upcoming relocation to a new larger state-of-the-art facility. The new facility will feature increased capacity and offer the potential for up to 70 quarantine beds, which will enable us to increase the capacity for the company to generate revenues.”

" The new facility will also allow us to conduct a greater number of trials concurrently across various challenge models enabling the company to maintain a higher level of capacity throughout the year.”

Reporting on: www.irishtimes.com