Clinigen CTS is a crucial link in the clinical trials stage of a drug. Functioning as a contact point between medicine manufacturers, contract research firms and clinical trial contract packagers, CTS scours the globe for the right drugs for the clinical trial patients.

CTS has notable partnerships in mature and emerging markets.

It has worked with the China Food and Drug Administration to ship products to trial sites in the United States. CTS has also collaborated with Accord Healthcare, distributing the latter's injectable cancer drugs across clinical trial sites in the European Union.

Complementing CTS, Clinigen GAP paves the path for continuous drug delivery by developing bespoke programmes for managing unlicensed and end-of-lifecycle medicines. GAP also handles company divestments and market withdrawals of medicine to provide lifelines for patients dependent on particular drugs.

Helping alleviate medical conditions, GAP provides a critical connection for patients with unmet medicinal needs. One of its undertakings was a named patient programme to provide controlled access to enzalutamide prior to its regulatory approval. Through GAP's intercession, men with prostate cancer who have no other suitable therapy gain access to enzalutamide as alternative treatment.

With patient well-being among its highest priorities, the company established Clinigen SP to focus on the acquisition of niche, hospital-only therapies which have the potential to save the lives of critically ill patients. Adding value to medicines, SP develops formulations and indications for distribution and marketing in defined markets.

"We acquire drugs that we think we can revitalise within at least a three-year turnover period," George says.

One of the first medicines SP acquired was Foscavir from AstraZeneca. Foscavir is an antiviral medication to treat HIV- and Aids-related cytomegalovirus infections and herpes. During the handover, SP ensured the drug remained available to hospitals, pharmacists and patients.

SP has acquired three other drugs since then: Cardioxane, Vibativ and Savene. Aiming to expand its portfolio to 10 drugs, SP seeks partners to help it commercialise the drugs globally.

"We make sure every patient gets the right drug when they need it," George says. "We do this in both our SP and GAP businesses. The

SP business benefits from being together with GAP and CTS because it gets the global distribution network it needs. What underpins these three businesses is a support network of logistics, distribution, quality and regulatory. With all three businesses, we have a complex set of support function."

Leveraging the strengths of its three segments, Clinigen can deliver drugs within 24 hours to hospitals in 85 countries.

Understanding the importance of a global network to the group's success, Clinigen seeks to form joint ventures with companies that can help it establish a warehousing and distribution hub in Singapore. Clinigen Group also eyes collaborations with companies in sourcing comparator drugs for clinical trials.

"We have three simple goals in the next three to five years - to be No 1 in our GAP business, be the No 1 player globally in clinical trial supply and within specialty pharmaceuticals, reach a portfolio of 10 products," George says.

"We are looking for partners to help us achieve these goals."