Singapore: Clinical Network Services (CNS), an Australian-based CRO offering integrated development services, has appointed former Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) toxicologist, Dr Douglas Francis, as senior regulatory toxicologist to the company's BioDesk product development planning and regulatory affairs service.

In his new role, Dr Francis will be providing advice and assistance to international and Australian and New Zealand biotechnology companies in the areas of toxicology, pharmacology, and drug optimization in support of the conduct of clinical trials and drug registration in key global markets.

Dr Francis is a UK and European registered toxicologist and is a member of a number of international bodies including the US Society of Toxicology (SOT) by review, the American College of Toxicology (ACT), the British Toxicology Society (BTS) and the Roundtable of Toxicology Consultants. He originally studied Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney followed by a PhD at the University of Sydney and was, for a number of years, a clinical academic at the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne.

Most recently, Dr Francis offered regulatory toxicology services to small to medium pharmaceutical and biotech clients in Australia, Europe and the US through his own consultancy, DF Pre-clinical Services. Previous to that, he was the VP drug development for Phylogica and from 1998-06, drug development manager at Pharmaxis. Dr Francis was a senior toxicologist at the TGA from 1995-97, and was part of a research team at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia from 1998-01.

Dr Mark Reid, associate director, BioDesk and regulatory affairs, commented that, "Dr Francis is arguably the most qualified senior toxicologist for drug development in Australia and has global regulatory toxicological experience in the key pharmaceutical markets of Europe and the US. We have been working with Doug for a number of years now on a consultancy basis and are looking forward to the merging of his consultancy operations with the BioDesk operation of CNS."