At an event in Washington DC, The Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar TD, announced the opening of new offices for Cork-based Atlantia Food Clinical Trials in Chicago.

Atlantia Food Clinical Trials will create an initial six jobs on opening in Chicago, growing to 20 positions within two years.

Speaking at the announcement, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD, said, “The opening of Atlantia Food Clinical Trials in Chicago is fantastic news for the company and for Ireland. It marks the next significant phase of the company’s development and shows Atlantia’s commitment to delivering a broad spectrum of clinical studies, which ultimately contribute to healthier lifestyles. It is testament to the innovative entrepreneurs that we have in Ireland who are building on our research capabilities and responding to market demand globally.” 

Atlantia Food Clinical Trials is a highly specialised, Enterprise Ireland-supported company, and a spin out of the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre, which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and hosted at University College Cork. The company is a Contract Research Organisation (CRO) that specialises in conducting studies in foods, supplements and live biotherapeutics for companies world-wide 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. 

Speaking about the company’s growth and success, Andrea Doolan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder at Atlantia Food Clinical Trials, said, “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.” 

Welcoming the announcement, Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said, “We are delighted to continue our support of Atlantia Food Clinical Trials into the next phase of their development, having supported the company to initially explore the US market through the Enterprise Ireland Discovery Fund. The company is providing a unique service, carried out by inhouse experts who have grown from a foundation of research excellence at UCC. This US expansion demonstrates an impressive commitment to the functional ingredients market, which is now worth in excess of €45billion.” 

Prof Mark Ferguson, Director General at Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said, “World-leading SFI Research Centres are recognised internationally. As well as attracting talent and capital to Ireland, they foster cutting-edge spin out companies and continue to successfully deliver on their mandate for excellent research with strong economic and societal impact. I am delighted to congratulate Atlantia Food Clinical Trials, on its expansion in Chicago and wish them every continued success.”

Atlantia Food Clinical Trials is uniquely positioned in the marketplace, running and operating its own clinic sites. Its team includes physician experts in digestive health, mental health, cardiovascular health, sports performance, metabolic disease, bone health, immune health and healthy ageing. The clinical team includes project managers, research nurses, nutritionists, certified sports trainers and lab researchers.

Atlantia Food Clinical Trials continues to collaborate with the APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre, Teagasc and other recognised centres of excellence globally.