NAMSA a global medical device research organization, continues its steady growth with the expansion of its microbiology laboratory in Irvine, California. The newly expanded and state-of-the-art laboratory space will utilize the latest technology for microbiology and sterility assurance testing and will open in spring 2013.An increased demand for NAMSA's sterility assurance and analytical services has led the company to invest in additional laboratory space in its Irvine location. The project increases its usable capacity by nearly 50 percent. In addition, the building is being improved to meet the requirements of silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to set a benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

"At NAMSA, we believe that everything we do must be in our clients' best interests. This expansion is one of several examples of that commitment," said Gina Skolmowski, Corporate Vice President of Operations for NAMSA. "Through this effort we have optimized our processes to meet increased demand for efficient lot release testing."

The expansion will not impact the delivery of current services, but will provide a more streamlined flow for future testing. The newly expanded space will be used for in vitro toxicology, sterility and bioburden testing. The expansion of these functional areas will also allow for growth in adjacent areas for analytical services and packaging testing. NAMSA is planning an open house to showcase the new features of the facility.

"The medical device research, regulatory approval and commercialization process is continuously taking longer and costing more, driving the need for efficiencies wherever possible, and we are very focused on helping our clients meet that need," said Skolmowski.

With recent acquisitions and expansions, NAMSA is well positioned as a fully integrated provider for both medical device manufacturers and human cellular and tissue products (HCT/P). NAMSA has breadth and depth in consulting, non-clinical and clinical services. By having expertise in cardiovascular, orthopedic, ocular, neurologic, gastroenterologic, urologic, combination product and related medical devices, NAMSA helps manufacturers accelerate the process of bringing their products to market.