In the early 1990s Laura Koeth and Tony DiFranco both worked for Radiometer America's microbiology division. When the company sold the division in 1995, Laura and Tony utilized their experience in antibiotic research to found Laboratory Specialists, Inc. We met with Tony and Laura recently, and listened as they provided this overview of the services Laboratory Specialists, Inc. offers;
Laboratory Specialists, Inc. is a research firm specializing in laboratory testing and surveillance in the area of antibiotic development. We work primarily for pharmaceutical companies that are developing antibiotics. Some of our worldwide affiliations include Dr. Michael Jacobs of Case Western University in Cleveland, Dr. James Poupard of Pharmaceutical Institute of Philadelphia, Dr. Joseph Libonati of Baltimore, Dr. Robert Rennie of Comprehensive Clinical Research Partners, Ltd. in Canada, Dr. Flavia Rossie of MD Microbiology Consulting, Ltd. in Brazil, Dr. Roman Kozlov of Innopharm Ltd. in Russia, and Dr. Jan Verhoef of Eijkman-Winkler Institute in The Netherlands.
We typically get involved early on with antibiotics to find potential compounds that might be active against particular bacteria. We perform testing to screen various bacteria against these antibiotics to determine how effective the antibiotics are in killing the target organisms. We also perform research work for companies having existing antibiotics to ascertain how well their antibiotics perform in comparison to those produced by other firms.
Regulatory issues is another important part of our business, and we are regulatory experts. We know how to work with the government and government regulations to get drugs approved. We provide surveillance to determine how well the drugs are performing, and publish reports and make presentations relative to our findings. The key to our success in this area is our knowledge of the business of regulation. We understand and are familiar with Federal government regulations, and couple this knowledge with our many years of experience to expedite the approval process.
Pharmaceutical companies are often criticized for the cost of drugs in the market place. Unfortunately, the cost to bring a new drug to market is in the multi hundreds of millions of dollars. The amount of funding for drug research is in the billions of dollars, and as a result, pharmaceutical companies are always looking for ways to help reduce those costs.
Laboratory Specialists is known for its efficient operations within the pharmaceutical product development community. Our efficiency is a result of extensive experience in product development, our small and flexible operation, and experienced personnel that produce fewer repeats in testing as compared to other companies within the industry.
Laura Koeth, as a well respected expert in the field of antibiotic development and with her associations with other well respected persons, has provided the needed services to help attack the growing resistance of bacteria to existing antibiotics. As a result of her publications, Laura is often sought out by large and small pharmaceutical companies to provide leadership in developing drugs to combat the growth of bacterial resistance to anti-infectives.
Laboratory Specialists, Inc. is a unique network of affiliated companies and individuals with expertise in development, support, and marketing of antimicrobial agents. Call Laboratory Specialists, Inc. today, and don't forget to tell them The Advocate sent you!
