Nucleus Network is bringing Australian clinical trial expertise to the world. The US and Europe already make up 80% of its business. The dedicated clinical trial operator has now turned its attention to Asia.

‘Demand from China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia is growing,’ says Nucleus Network’s Chief Executive Officer, Teena Pisarev. ‘Investment capabilities in the region are expanding, creating a wealth of opportunities in the biotechnology sector. As companies reinvest in critical technologies, the potential for innovation and growth continues to rise.’

Nucleus Network will open a Phase I site in Sydney later this year. This will create 100 new jobs, enabling Nucleus Network to commence over 40 new studies annually. This increase in operational capacity helps shorten the time-frame of treatments coming to market.

‘We are expanding Nucleus Network’s capacity in 2024,’ says Pisarev. ‘Our location and expertise allow us to connect Asia to the world. Thanks to partners such as Austrade, Nucleus Network is accessing new and emerging markets in this dynamic region.’

Nucleus Network is Australia’s largest Phase I clinical trial provider. The company employs 600 staff globally, with clinics in Brisbane, Melbourne, Geelong and Minneapolis in the US. It is the world’s only multi-site, multi-country, Phase 1 clinical trial specialist, operating in Australia and the US.

Nucleus Network specialises in Phase I and first-in-human clinical trials. The company has more than 20 years of expertise, managing over 1,500 clinical trials. During the pandemic, it conducted first-in-human COVID-19 vaccine trials for Symvivo Corporation and Novavax.

The company conducts around 100 trials each year. With 200,000 volunteer patients on its database, clients can benefit from Australia’s large, multicultural population for clinical trials.

An acquisition in 2018 by Australian private equity firm Crescent Capital Partners gave Nucleus Network the opportunity to scale and broaden its research capability.

By 2019, Nucleus Network had grown its capabilities and number of trial participants. It expanded to additional facilities in Brisbane (Q-Pharm) and the US (Prism). In 2022, Blackstone, one of the world's largest private equity firms, bought the company, providing an even bigger platform for growth.