Bio Analytical Research Corporation South Africa (BARC SA) is a boutique clinical trials company that supports the research and development, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors in the development and approval of new therapeutic agents by managing the laboratory component of clinical trials. BARC SA offers a wide range of analytical testing of clinical samples, including pre and post-analytical services. BARC SA is nationally and globally certified for the storage of clinical trial samples until they are required for further testing.
BARC SA conforms to strict quality and safety standards, with a head office in Johannesburg with branches in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Baragwanath Hospital. BARC SA was established in 1999 as a joint venture with BARC and Lancet Laboratories, a South African ‘state of the art’ clinical pathology laboratory. This partnership increases the variety of tests BARC SA can offer, increases the intellectual capital, expertise and logistical coverage that can be offered to clinical trial customers. As a result of our experience in clinical trials we have developed the following strengths as a result of the disease epidemics in South Africa:
- HIV
- TB
- HBV
- HPV
- Oncology
- Diabetes
- Hypercholesterolemia
In October 2009, BARC SA launched a biobanking repository in Johannesburg (see specialised facilities). This facility is designed to store two million clinical trial samples in a state of the art faculty, ensuring peace of mind for the investigator.
Our Partners
Lancet Laboratories has provided a clinical pathology service to the medical community for over 55 years, and therefore provides BARC SA with a wealth of local knowledge. The joint venture allows for provision of Lancet expertise to BARC SA in terms of local medical, informational technology and quality capabilities.
BARC NV is a specialised in the biology of clinical tests, BARC global central laboratories was established in 1985 and is currently one of the largest Global Central labs internationally. BARC has subsidiaries on all the continents (Europe, America, Africa, Australia, and Asia). This enables it to undertake international clinical trials from phase I to IV. BARC has developed a global quality assurance system and standard operational procedures that apply to all of its subsidiaries. The BARC management team is comprised of experts, who for a number of years, have collaborated with the Pharmaceutical Industry by offering a comprehensive range of medical biology tests, from routine tests to hyperspecialised tests as well as a range of adapted services:
- Group of over 2,000 tests
- From routine tests to esoteric tests
- Development of new tests
- Storage of samples or biobanking
- International logistics, secured and meeting international standards
- Uniformity of the test methods and quality controls
- Electronic and secure management of data
By belonging to the Cerba HealthCare network it benefits:
- from the expertise of the team of clinical scientists from the network on all the medical specialties
- from an international territorial network
Therefore, BARC is a partner of choice for the pharmaceutical industry in:
- choosing the most relevant biomarkers for a clinical trial
- Knowledgeable advice on developing new biomarkers that are the most adapted to a given protocol.
- Management of a clinical trial
BARC is globally positioned and is therefore engaged in numerous international multi centre studies. To ensure flexibility and service orientation towards investigators and sponsors for fast set-up and immaculate operation, worldwide testing is performed on corresponding instrumentation and incorporated into a single database with identical reference ranges and reports.
Cerba HealthCare is a European leader in clinical pathology ranging from first intention to highly specialized tests including central laboratory facilities for clinical trials. Cerba HealthCare reflects the synergy of Laboratoire Cerba specialized laboratory, founded in 1967, with over 90 local clinical pathology laboratories serving a population of millions inhabitants. With its 1,800 collaborators focused on the same goal for providing patients, physicians and pharmaceutical companies with the best healthcare service, Cerba HealthCare is highly involved in setting up the most demanding quality standards worldwide. Cerba HealthCare is a network of clinical pathology laboratory, providing routine and specialized clinical laboratory testing services primarily in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and supporting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide in the clinical trial phase of their drug development processes. Through our Routine Lab and Specialized Testing operations, we offer a range of over 2.500 routine and specialty clinical tests used by doctors and medical institutions to diagnose, monitor and treat diseases. Through a large network of high quality laboratories in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, our Routine Lab operations perform a wide variety of clinical tests for patients who have generally been prescribed these tests by their doctors. Our Specialized Testing operations offer private laboratories and public hospitals in more than 35 countries a broad range of specialty testing services, such as molecular biology testing, oncology testing, allergy testing, hormonology testing, and infectious disease testing and diagnostic genetic testing. Our Central Lab testing operations, which we operate through our BARC subsidiaries, provide safety and efficacy testing services to pharmaceutical companies and contact research organizations worldwide in connection with drug development processes.