Quest Diagnostics, the US supplier of diagnostic testing, information and services, has integrated its anatomic pathology laboratory in Teterboro, New Jersey with the global network of laboratories run by its Quest Diagnostics Clinical Trials unit.

The unit provides global central laboratory services for clinical studies, including paediatric testing, pharmacogenomics, data management services, custom research and development capabilities and DNA extraction, through proprietary facilities in North America and Europe as well as affiliate facilities in Australia, Asia and South Africa.

The integration of anatomic pathology services into the network reflects rapidly growing demand for this kind of testing in the clinical trials sector, driven by the search for new medicines in oncology and women’s health, explained Anthony Santicerma, Quest Diagnostics’ director of global marketing for clinical trials. It also follows the company’s appointment of Dr Ronald Luff as director of anatomic pathology for clinical trials in late 2005.

Quest Diagnostics’ menu of anatomic pathology services includes gynaecological and non-gynaecological cytology, tissue pathology, haematopathology and molecular pathology. The integration strategy means that clinical trial samples requiring anatomic pathology testing, sourced from “virtually anywhere in the world”, can now be managed within the Quest Diagnostics laboratory network, the company said.