Nestlé is centralizing its work in clinical development with the opening of a new unit dedicated to the management of clinical trials.
June 8, 2012
Nestlé is centralizing its work in clinical development with the opening of a new unit dedicated to the management of clinical trials. The company’s Clinical Development Unit (CDU), located in Lausanne, Switzerland, will allow it to more effectively and efficiently evaluate the impact of its foods and ingredients on human biology and health, as well as on taste and pleasure.
Clinical trials are recognized by food authorities around the world as a robust way of evaluating the effect of nutrients or foods on consumers. Nestlé has a long track record of carrying out clinical trials and publishing the results worldwide. The company had more than 100 ongoing clinical trials in 2011 and expects to carry out more than this in the future.
“Our clinical development work ultimately provides the scientific evidence as to whether our ingredients, new products, and product reformulations are effective in delivering consumer benefits,” said Werner Bauer, Nestlé’s Chief Technology Officer. “The new CDU is a strategic fit with our research and development commitment to provide innovative solutions for nutrition, health, and wellness.”
Nestlé’s CDU will provide medical expertise in different therapeutic areas. It will also offer specialist knowhow in project management, data management, and biostatistics—the use of statistics in the analysis of biological data.
The CDU houses a “Metabolic Unit” for metabolic studies in healthy people, as well in those with health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The unit has exercise equipment to test strength, speed, and endurance, and specialist scanners for measuring bone density and body composition. It has “indirect calorimetry” equipment for scientists to measure the energy people expend at rest and during exercise. It includes sensory booths, a kitchen and a dining area, and a clinical observation space for metabolic studies.
Press release