Further, service providers must be able to ramp up resources quickly to accommodate a developer's work flow needs, be able to demonstrate productivity and efficiency gains on a year-over-year basis and provide a transparent platform that allows insight and control as needed to all phases of pharmacovigilance operations.

Opportunity for strategic value
In order to truly become a strategic partner with pharmaceutical developers in turning pharmacovigilance operations and processes from a cost center to a strategic advantage, a CRO must first and foremost be able to ensure that quality and compliance don't suffer as a result of transferring of pharmacovigilance work away from a developer's in-house staff.

Recently, Quintiles launched a Center of Excellence in Dalian, China, to drive productivity, lower costs for pharmacovigilance and back office support for pharmaceutical firms in Asian geographies. With a highly trained staff and wide range of expertise in case processing and handling, the Dalian location can lower pharmacovigilance costs by as much as half.

Quintiles stands uniquely qualified to provide Asian firms the support and cost savings they need to move pharmacovigilance processes from regulatory mandate to strategic advantage. Designed to work with the highest quality standards, the Dalian center builds on Quintiles' experience in project management, quality assurance and clinical trial experience, along with a management and technical staff who have built credibility with investigators and regulatory authorities across the region.

For firms able to identify the right partnership, the opportunity exists to help differentiate their products from the competition by increasing its value through lower costs and streamlined development processes. In fully capturing a product's safety profile without committing a wealth of resources or diverting focus from other critical processes, pharmaceutical firms across Asia can transform their pharmacovigilance efforts from a costly, mandated process to a strategic asset that creates value and helps deliver innovative products to patients with fewer hurdles, higher quality and increased safety.

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