Singapore: Australia based Novotech has strengthened its Hong Kong operation with expansion of its manpower base.

The company began operating in Hong Kong in 2013. The Chief Operating Officer, Asia, Dr John Moller, said that the company's recent relocation to a larger office in Tsim Sha Tsui aimed at meeting growing demand from drug companies on the back of a thriving pharmaceutical industry in the region.

"Hong Kong is a significant market in high demand from US- and Europe-based pharma and biotech sponsors. In addition, the city is officially recognised by the China Food and Drug Administration for conducting clinical trials for drug registration purposes in Mainland China in certain therapeutic areas," Dr Moller said.

He added that the company will be engaged in more first-phase trials following the opening of Phase 1 centres at some universities in Hong Kong. "In the next few years, we also see a need to expand our workforce by recruiting experts locally to meet with our business expansion," he said.

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Mr Charles Ng said, "Hong Kong is a leading medical and pharmaceutical centre in Asia. It provides not only sustained demand from a diverse range of drug companies for clinical research but also experts in different clinical trial disciplines who can help foreign companies like Novotech to strengthen and expand their footprint in Hong Kong as well as in the region."