QPS was founded in 1995 by Dr. Benjamin Chien and over the last 20 years has expanded from a small molecule bioanalysis firm with three employees to over 1,200 employees located in North America, Europe, India and Asia.
Over the last couple of decades, the company has expanded its list of services to include neuropharmacology, DMPK, toxicology, translational medicine, early phase clinical research, phase 2 to 4 clinical research and program management.
To make sure everything runs smoothly for customers and patients, QPS has defined five core company values: integrity, quality, customer focus, commitment, and people and culture.
“For us, our company values mean that we keep our promises, offer high levels of technical expertise, have global resources at our disposal, deliver results, treat people with dignity and provide growth opportunities,” says Marc Thouin, President and General Manager of QPS Netherlands BV.
The core activities upon which the Netherlands branch focuses are bioanalysis and early phase clinical development, also referred to as Phase 0 or Phase 1, as well as clinical services for late phase clinical research.
The branch is located in the city of Groningen and has three locations in the area. Clients interested in Phase 1 services come to QPS Netherlands because the site hosts a full-service bioanalytical laboratory, which means it is capable of doing a full analysis on samples taken from patients and studying healthy subjects.
One of the more popular early phase clinical development services is called first-in-man. “First-in-man clinical trials test previously developed and assessed medical breakthroughs in humans for the first time,” explains Mr. Thouin.
Study participants stay at the company’s facilities for one to two weeks while the trial is actively running. QPS places the health and safety of all of the participants first and makes sure there are staff on hand in case any emergency services are needed.
Following the initial trial, the firm is also there to assist clients in managing the later phases of clinical development. The European Clinical Research team, also based in the Netherlands, supports the transfer of compound development of Phase 1 into the Phases 2 to 4, ensuring a smooth and timely process.
In terms of its bioanalysis services, QPS provides its customers with a full range of solutions to support the entire bioanalytical spectrum for small molecule, biological and biomarker analysis.
“Our branch focuses a lot on determining different drug levels in different body masses and fluids,” adds Mr. Thouin. Since QPS carries out a host of tests on human subjects, ethics are very important and are taken very seriously by every branch.
“In the Netherlands, we have a group of independent experts who are authorized by the government to oversee our projects and report back,” says Mr. Thouin.
The company’s track record shows that it has consistently dealt with trials with a high level of professionalism and transparency. This dedication to health and safety has drawn some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms to the company’s door, along with smaller start-ups and venture capital groups.
The future for QPS Netherlands – and QPS as a whole – looks very promising. There are plans to develop the European arm of the firm more, invest in additional research and development and continue to focus on therapeutic testing.
“The satisfaction of our clients and the well-being of the patients/healthy subjects will remain our top priority,” sums up Mr. Thouin.
