hVIVO PLC, a specialist contract research group, has been selected as the sole UK clinical site for a phase IIb field study assessing an influenza drug candidate.
This evaluation, conducted in collaboration with an unnamed US company, will begin later this year. hVIVO will enrol up to 1,000 healthy volunteers through its recruitment platform, FluCamp.
Participants will receive either the drug candidate or a placebo at the Plumbers Row site, in London's East End, and will be monitored with regular clinical check-ups to evaluate the drug's efficacy and safety over several months.
This multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is the largest field study contract for hVIVO, expected to significantly enhance its revenue and improve staff utilisation. The majority of the contract's revenue will be recognized in the next financial year.
"This is our largest field study contract to date, further evidencing the recognition we have earned for our highly effective recruitment capabilities and also opens up a new growth opportunity for the group," said CEO, Yamin 'Mo' Khan.
"This project comes at a time when we are in the process of expanding our screening site in London to accommodate these types of studies. Our achievements in recruiting large numbers of volunteers and patients into clinical studies was a key reason for this award.
"This is an important facet of our growth strategy that will diversify our revenue base whilst using our existing resources and infrastructure."