Eurofins Viracor Biopharma
Relentlessly Improving Drug Testing Capabilities

The holy trinity for the success of clinical trials is innovation, accuracy and expertise. Even as speed comes in a close fourth, obtaining accurate test results takes the lead when it is a matter of life and death. With over 35 years of analytical innovation and specialized expertise, Eurofins Viracor Biopharma has established a reputation as a trusted provider of clinical trial testing and bioassay development solutions. The firm earned this reputation through its participation in the development of the first FDA-approved, oncolytic viral vector-based anti-cancer therapeutic, for the TVEC drug released by Amgen, at a time when there were only a handful of companies which were capable of developing tests to assess the safety and efficacy of the drug.

A subsidiary of Eurofins Scientific, Eurofins Viracor Biopharma possesses state of the art molecular testing capabilities and specialized expertise in immunogenicity and biomarker testing for supporting the development of anti-viral and anti-cancer therapies. Adhering to the guidelines and regulations issued by the FDA to prove safety and efficacy, the firm provides the highest quality clinical testing services leveraging its broad experience and cutting edge technologies.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) are some of the essential technologies used by Eurofins Viracor to assist their client’s drug development trials, across various therapeutic areas such as infectious disease, oncology, metabolic and immunological illness. To identify individual genomic biomarkers (often called genomic profiling) using next-generation sequencing, the firm offers clients new age instrumentation platforms (i.e., Illumina), which are utilized in complex clinical trials for various precision oncology studies.

While all comprehensive genomic profiles require the simultaneous assessment of multiple genomic biomarkers, Eurofins Viracor’s services include bioinformatics capabilities for data analysis and interpretation, as per the client’s needs.

This technology employs sophisticated algorithms and advanced computing capabilities, which analyze terabytes of genomic data to identify correlations between genomes, assisting patients in the detection of potential health disorders. “We have invested heavily in people, computing power, and analytical technologies to provide top-notch services to clients and meet the growing number of requirements in the precision drug development space,” says Doug Irving, the Director of Marketing.

The firm also performs molecular testing for viral load monitoring, and vector copy numbering, aiding in the development of vaccines - the most recent one being the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine developed by Moderna.

Moderna approached Eurofins Viracor with prior knowledge of its molecular testing expertise with vaccines, and other anti-infective drug development. The firm developed sensitive, robust assays, and validated them quickly, which enabled Moderna to carry out the enormous clinical trial extremely reliably and launch their vaccine in record time.

To this day, the Eurofins Viracor’s COVID-19 qPCR test is ranked as the most sensitive test developed for the virus detection on the FDA’s website (tied with PerkinElmer, Inc)*. The firm combines its capabilities with the expertise of its scientists to devise new test assays that are custom made for the development of new drugs. Once the assays are validated, the Eurofins Viracor’s scientists possess the necessary skills to scale up the methods to be utilized in the clinical trial; ensuring the entire process is hassle-free, barring anomalies and failures. To further assist clients, a primary project lead is assigned to manage each client’s study. “In case an issue arises, our clients never have to worry about who to talk to about the status of a project,” says Doug. Throughout the entire process, the single primary contact elevates the communication within the firm and provides constant updates about the progress of the project. The firm’s R&D team also meets with the client’s scientific counterparts in person, or at times over video calls, to understand their requirements, which establishes a strong relationship and ensures the project is conducted efficiently.