Velocity Clinical Research expands to Poland

• Strong pipeline of Polish acquisition targets by end of 2023
• Hires ex-Parexel Global Head Site Solutions to lead Polish expansion

London, 06 December 2023: Velocity Clinical Research (“Velocity”), the leading multi-specialty clinical sites business, announced it has expanded into Poland, acquiring its first site, ClinMedica Research. Located in Skierniewice, which is halfway between Warsaw and Lodz, the site marks the first in a series of key acquisitions targeted by the company in Poland by year's end. 

In addition to being one of Poland’s top recruiting sites in cardiology trials, ClinMedica also recruits patients across a broad range of therapeutic areas involving ambulatory medicine. Led by Grzegorz Kania, MD, the site has an excellent reputation for quality recruitment and exceptional patient care. The site is recognised as one of the best research facilities in the country by Sponsors and contract research organisations (CROs). 

Dominic Clavell, European General Manager for Velocity, commented, “Velocity began its European expansion in July 2022 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Poland is a strategic market for us since it is recognised by the biopharmaceutical companies and CROs as a top recruiting country, supported by a government that understands the benefits commercial clinical trials bring to communities. 

“The acquisition of ClinMedica is the first step to building a network of high quality dedicated research sites in Poland. It also increases our regional footprint and is another point in our journey to reach critical mass in the U.K. and Europe, meaning Velocity will be able to conduct entire studies on our own with geographical diversity.”

Agnieszka Gackowska, MD, who was previously Global Head Site Solutions at Parexel and is a qualified physician, has joined Velocity as Vice President and Country Head, Poland, to lead the company’s expansion. 

Dr Gackowska said, “Velocity’s expansion into Poland allows us to think globally but act locally when it comes to clinical research. Not enough people in smaller cities have the opportunity or access to clinical research, which could be their only lifeline to innovative treatments. 

“Importantly, the presence of a global company that puts patient care at the heart of everything it does, means there are now more career opportunities for local doctors so we do not lose Polish talent to larger markets.” 

Velocity operates an integrated site network of more than 80 locations across four countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Poland, and has a tech hub in Hyderabad, India. The Polish site joins five locations in the U.K. and four in Germany.

Velocity has access to more than 220 principal investigators across a range of therapeutic areas and a database of more than one million patients. Its sites are fully integrated via a centralised infrastructure and common technology backbone, allowing for superior patient enrollment and consistent, high-quality data delivery. As a result, Sponsors and CROs can benefit from simplified access to international clinical research capabilities.