ReSearch Pharmaceutical Services Announces Joint Venture with Asklep in Japan

FORT WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania and TOKYO, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ReSearch Pharmaceutical Services Inc. ("RPS"), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), and Asklep Inc. ("Asklep"), one of Japan's largest CROs, today announced the creation of a Joint Venture Company (JVC) to deliver leading-edge R&D outsourcing solutions in Japan to the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. 

The exclusive RPS-Asklep collaboration will leverage RPS' proprietary structures and global footprint to deliver customized solutions across large, mid-size and small and virtual organizations. A breadth of options ranging from embedded, hybrid, and full-service solutions will be available to clients using best-in-class standard operating procedures, processes and systems.  Alan Morgan, RPS' Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JVC, in addition to his current responsibilities.

Commenting upon the announcement Daniel Perlman, CEO and Founder of RPS said, "By combining RPS' innovative approaches to meeting the industry's needs with Asklep's excellent reputation, significant size, and local infrastructure, RPS will be positioned to meet current and future needs across the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries.  Japan is an important market for clinical development and this JVC brings ownership and accountability with mutual success and long-term stability to the benefit of customers."

Hiroshi Ichikawa, President and CEO of Asklep said, "We are delighted to partner with RPS as it provides very unique solutions ranging from embedded, functional and cross-functional programs to enhanced global full-service solutions. Combining RPS' global solutions and Asklep's localized services, we believe the JVC will address an unmet need in Japan."

About RPS  
ReSearch Pharmaceutical Services (RPS), the market leading global provider of innovative outsourcing Clinical Development Solutions, provides comprehensive Phase I-IV services to meet the evolving needs of the Biopharmaceutical, Medical Device and Diagnostic industries, customized by customer type (large, mid-size, and small).  Built organically, RPS is the fastest growing top 10 global Clinical Research Organization (CRO), with more than 5,000 employees and operations in more than 64 countries with proprietary internal structures.  These structures provide both RPS and its partner's greater development flexibility and growth.  RPS is uniquely positioned to provide the following customized clinical development solutions:

• Large organizations: RPS provides innovative, Embedded, portfolio-wide clinical development solutions  delivering multi-million dollar cost savings, greater quality and the ability to manage more within their portfolio while retaining strategic control and effectively managing regulatory risk. 
• Midsize organizations: RPS has leveraged its market leading Embedded Clinical Development Solutions expertise providing an innovative model that enables the efficient internal development of a midsize company's product portfolio with greater control and flexibility, accelerated development timelines and substantially reduced costs.
• Virtual/Small Organizations: RPS provides a comprehensive project based delivery solution with market leading full service processes and tools.  Our in-house drug development expertise combined with outstanding project management means that our clients achieve superior execution on efficiently designed studies.  RPS recruits in excess of 100,000 patients a year with performance ahead of industry leading benchmarks.

For more information about RPS, visit www.rpsweb.com.

About Asklep   
Asklep, Inc., (www.asklep.co.jp) founded in 1992, in Tokyo, Japan, provides clinical research services including monitoring, data management, biostatistics, and comprehensive CRA training. As a member of the Intage Group (http://www.intage.co.jp/), we provide full support service for drug development through medical research and system solutions.