2019
UCC spinout expands into the US
Atlantia Food Clinical Trials has announced plans to open new offices in Chicago and create up to 20 jobs within two years.
A spinout of the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre at UCC, the Enterprise Ireland-supported company provides end-to-end solutions for human clinical research studies in functional foods, beverages and health supplements to a worldwide client base.
According to CEO and co-founder Andrea Doolan, “the decision to expand our clinic base in Chicago is due to the ever-increasing demand for clinical trials on functional foods."
“This industry is in a phase of rapid discovery and strong growth, and as a leading expert in clinical studies, we can help our clients to deliver on their product development needs, in a highly competitive market.”
The company’s expansion into the US demonstrates an impressive commitment to the functional ingredients market, which is now worth more than €45 billion, said Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland.
Set to create an initial six jobs on opening in Chicago, the company specialises in conducting studies in foods, beverages and supplements for companies worldwide that want to scientifically validate their functional ingredients to support an EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) Health Claim, FDA (Food & Drug Administration) Structure Function Claim or General Product Marketing Claim.
The expert team at Atlantia Food Clinical Trials includes world-class clinicians, scientists, research nurses, dieticians, nutritionists and operations personnel.
Speaking in Washington at the announcement, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “Atlantia has grown out of one of our Government-backed SFI Research Centres based at University College Cork. These SFI Research Centres are helping to create a new generation of cutting-edge enterprises which are using innovation to respond to consumer and market demand. I’d like to congratulate Atlantia on their success to date and wish them well as they go global.”