History

Biotrial was originally created by Jean-Marc Gandon, Pharm D in France.

He first set up Phase I trials with a 4-bed in-hospital unit, aided in his endeavor by prominent scientists who shared his vision for advancing medical research.

From the company’s inception, community involvement has been a core value for Biotrial, with a focus on scientific, academic, and economic contributions.

Biotrial has experienced significant growth since then, expanding its operations and services to become a leading full-service CRO on a global scale.

Our Preclinical services unit was integrated in 1989 to support sponsors in their early development needs and allows us to accompany our sponsors from the Preclinical to the Clinical stage of development

The creation of this unit was a milestone in our commitment to support our sponsors throughout the drug development process.

In 1991, Biotrial created its Biometrics Unit to support clinical activity. Since then, the biometrics service has grown into an independent business unit providing support to sponsors worldwide for the collection, management, analysis, and reporting of data from Preclinical to Phase IV clinical trials.

In 1997, Biotrial achieved a significant milestone by constructing its first building and current headquarters in Rennes, France. Strategically situated in close proximity to a hospital and a university, this expansion facilitated the growth of our Phase I unit and increased our capacity to 50 beds, allowing us to conduct a broader range of studies.

In 1999, Biotrial opened its first office outside of France to respond to growing international requests.

Biotrial’s London office expanded the company’s global presence and reinforced its international coverage, enabling the organization to provide guidance to sponsors from all around the world.

Biotrial’s journey in clinical research began with an ECG (EKG) study in 1989, and in 2008 we made the decision to establish a dedicated Core Lab Unit in response to the increasing requests from our sponsors. Our capabilities and technology had grown, and Biotrial’s Core Lab service could now specialize in cardiac safety & ECG, QT investigation, CNS assessments, and medical imaging.

In 2012, Biotrial concluded construction a second building in Rennes, France. This state-of-the-art building of 65 000 sq ft allowed us to expand our Preclinical laboratory with an additional 20,000 sq. ft bringing the total floor space to 27,000 sq. ft. It also allowed us to drastically increase Preclinical capabilities and to develop new major services.

The clinical Phase I unit expanded to a 150-bed capacity and was redesigned to incorporate specific ambulatory areas, dedicated recruitment offices, and screening areas. This expansion also benefited our Core Lab and Biometrics units, enabling them to leverage enhanced capabilities.

In 2012, Biotrial reached another milestone by acquiring the EEG expertise of a CRO whose neuroscience expertise complemented Biotrial’s and enabled us to increase and expand our Central EEG services. The location of this new unit in Eastern France positioned us in proximity to key partners in Switzerland and Germany, bolstering our capabilities and marking our first external expansion.

In 2012 Biotrial acquired a Bioanalytical laboratory in Montreal, Canada.

The acquisition represented Biotrial’s inaugural foray into the North American market and led to the establishment of Biotrial Bioanalytical Services, a dedicated entity specializing in developing bioanalytical methods for innovators. This expansion allowed Biotrial to broaden its range of services, positioning it as a comprehensive, one-stop-shop CRO.

In 2015 we celebrated the opening of our brand-new Clinical Pharmacology Unit, built from scratch in New Jersey to respond to our client’s requests to complement European clinical activity. These 110 additional beds were added to the existing capacity in France bringing Biotrial’s total number of beds to 260 in the 2 CPUs.

Located in the tri-state area, our New Jersey facility is strategically positioned to cater to our growing teams. This prime location was chosen for its proximity to strategic customers, a university hospital complex, and multiple universities.

In 2022 Biotrial’s Preclinical facilities expanded again in France with an additional 10 000 sq ft, allowing us to respond to increasing sponsor demands.

The BOOST 2030 project has been launched to help us build a strategic plan to support our growth in the upcoming years. This initiative relies on a collaborative approach.