CMIC Group
The Pharmaceutical Value Creator

The ‘City of the Big Shoulders’, as Carl Sandburg—a prominent poet, writer, and editor— described it, Chicago carries this moniker proudly even today as the thriving hub for industrial ventures. The moniker becomes even more evident when one takes a 20-minute drive, west from the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. A sweeping arc of an expansive 270,000 sqft of bioanalytical testing lab approaches, providing the testament to a legacy that CMIC Holdings group has established over the last 25 years. CMIC stands for Current Medical Information Center. In 1992, Dr. Kazuo Nakamura founded CMIC as the first Clinical Research Organization (CRO) in Japan as well as laying down the legislative framework needed in order to provide clinical research services for Japanese pharmaceutical industry. Today, CMIC employs more than 6, 500 employees worldwide with nearly $650M in sales revenue reported in 2017. CMIC Holdings Group is the largest CRO in Japan with major affiliates in the U.S. and Asian countries like China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and several others. With excellent track record of supporting ca. 80 percent of drug approvals in Japan, CMIC has extended its services to the U.S.

Being an integrated and relatively new member of CMIC Holdings Group, CMIC, Inc. had established its solid footprint in Chicago 10 years ago, specializing bioanalytical testing and has become one of the leading global CROs supporting bioanalytical assays for small/large molecule and biomarker pre-clinical and clinical developments across countries. “With more than 25 years’ experience, we aspire to be the top provider of bioanalytical services. We offer sponsors excellent customer experience, unparalleled data quality and rapid turnaround times. Our scientific talents have done superb jobs in study executions and communication.” “We have placed our lab in the heart of the U.S., Chicago, strategically as this makes it easier and convenient for our customers and sponsors to send their studies for testing either from east or west coast, Japan, or Europe as we are minutes away from the airport,” says Jenny Lin, the COO of CMIC, Inc. Its GLP-compliant state-of-the-art facility purpose-built was established in 2008 to maximize efficiencies and provide scientists with a world-class quality environment. The lab has the capacity to accommodate quick turnaround and high volume projects around the globe. Services offered include Bioanalytical method development, method validation and sample analysis for the most challenging studies throughout the U.S., Japan and Europe following different regulations.

Redefining Quality

CMIC delivers its services in four distinct areas—small and large molecule, biomarkers, and oligonucleotides—in an agile and flexible manner. “We have been carrying along the heritage that we built in Japan by including craftsmanship and spirit in our business. Having built our organization in that way, we have ensured that our talents are diligently trained, every system and detail would reciprocate into high-quality data,” informs Lin. CMIC has invested energy and time to offer a top-notch lab work execution.

While on the small molecule side, they deliver accuracy and flexibility across multiple platforms which includes LC-MS/MS, UHPLC-UV, and UHPLC-FLR, for large molecule, its tool-box contains the latest bioanalytical technologies such MSD, ELISA, NGS and qPCR providing versatility for a sponsor’s programs. For Biomakers, CMIC supports a range of projects from exploratory research to fully validated assays covering pre-clinical and clinical studies. The firm routinely develops robust in-house assays using vendor supplied high quality antibodies which are either singleplex or multiplex in design. CMIC also supports various studies for oligonucleotide-based drugs including qualification, full method validation, and GLP sample analysis studies. “We are partnered with recognized global leaders in RNA-targeted discoveries and have successfully validated nearly 100 individual leading compounds that steer us ahead from the other competition in the marketplace,” says Lin.

We have been carrying along the heritage that we built in Japan by including craftsmanship and spirit in our business

The Essence of Eminence

What really steers CMIC ahead is its relentless pursuit towards delivering quality and excellence. To that end, the firm amalgamates sophisticated analytical instrumentation and advanced technologies for producing ultrasensitive analyses. This enables the sponsors to receive the highest quality efficacy and safety data for their compound. Further, CMIC employs competent and efficient researchers to drive the essence of eminence further. The firm’s highly educated and experienced scientists work directly with the clients’ R&D scientists to ensure that they get the most from their investment. Its project team is comprised of two technical experts for each assay performed to provide continuous verification of the assay conducted.

CMIC researchers work with the commitment towards staying at the forefront of improving testing methods and technology. They indulge in continuous education and training and in addition, gaining technical expertise through extensive cross-training between CMIC’s international laboratories. The researchers also attend external training from vendors and industry experts, and industry conferences regularly that keeps them updated on the latest technology and techniques.

Growth and Innovation

With the aim to work closely with the clients throughout the drug development process, CMIC has become the go-to partner for clients empowered through high-quality data, rapid turnaround, and unparalleled customer service. “We have started our cross training extension program and continue to build a solid versatile team to support the variety of services in preparation of our sponsor’s needs,” mentions Lin.

CMIC has also rapidly expanded their large molecule services in support of protein based therapeutics. “We have a few business segments that we are aggressively expanding and strategically focused on, and we would look to be the leader of the CRO space in the near future,” concludes Lin.