WIREDGOV

PRA – a leading clinical research organisation which is expanding its Swansea office with Welsh Government support - is well ahead of schedule in creating 100 new jobs. 

The company, which is headquartered in North Carolina in the United States,  announced last year it is expanding its clinical informatics team in Swansea and establishing a new multi-lingual helpdesk.
The expansion, backed by £1.29m business finance from the Welsh Government, was set to create 100 new graduate level jobs by December 2016. The company has already taken on 66 new members of staff, 39 of which are from Welsh Universities, bringing the headcount at Swansea up to 155.

Steve Powell, PRA executive vice-president, Clinical Informatics and Late Phase Services, said:

“We are pleased to have hired well-qualified staff in the Swansea area, allowing PRA to grow and assist the local economy. We continue to meet the needs of our clients by providing quality services and innovative technology.”

Economy Minister Edwina Hart, who opened their new offices on SA1 Swansea Waterfront a year ago tomorrow (May 8), said:

" Life sciences is one of our priority economic sectors with high growth potential so its great news to hear that PRA is well ahead of schedule in creating a range of new jobs. I am delighted to hear the company is working with Welsh Universities and been able to recruit the high calibre staff needed to drive forward their expansion.”

PRA currently employs more than 10,000 employees in more than 80 global offices, conducting drug trials across the world, and helping drug sponsors get those new drugs approved. The focus in Swansea is the collection and management of the data from those trials, managing safety and efficacy profiles of the drugs and the trials, ensuring that the data is collected, managed and presented to regulatory bodies around the world.

The Swansea office is one of the core hubs within PRA which has had a base in the city since 1996 when it initially employed five people.