- HUNTSVILLE, Alabama, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Life Sciences™ (Discovery) announced a major expansion into Europe today, acquiring Sofia Bio and its extensive network of human biospecimen collection sites in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Discovery also has entered into an agreement to become the exclusive industry distributor of East West Biopharma, which maintains the largest biocollection network in Ukraine. These initiatives cement Discovery's position as the global leader in biospecimen analysis, procurement, and distribution for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostics industries, and create the largest venture of its kind in Europe. Discovery's expansion will enhance the company's ability to provide excellent service, capacity, and specificity of biospecimens to researchers across Europe, within 24 hours of collection. Globally, Discovery's clinical network will grow by more than 100 sites, to nearly 280; researchers will benefit from Discovery's added capabilities of rapid sourcing, processing, and analysis of rare and high-demand biospecimens from Eastern Europe that have the potential to advance the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening and chronic diseases. "Sofia and East West Bio are highly regarded suppliers in the region and have been long-standing Discovery partners; they provide timely and high-quality services in compliance with all consent and industry regulations," Discovery's CEO Glenn Bilawsky said. "As we knit this territory together, we will streamline logistics and further invest in providing outstanding processing and analytic services to the global medical research community." Leveraging its partnership with Water Street Healthcare Partners, Discovery's continued expansion comes on the heels of its recent merger of four complementary bioanalytic and biospecimen businesses: Conversant Bio, Folio Bio, Discovery Life Sciences, and Phylogeny. This created a global leader in biospecimen analysis and procurement, offering the world's largest repository of biospecimens. The European expansion addresses the acute need for discovery, research, and development support services across the continent. "Eastern Europe's clinical, academic, and research communities are seeking expanded opportunities to participate in the rapid growth of research and development of new diagnostics and therapies," Bilawsky said. "Discovery's expansion will answer that need." About Discovery Life SciencesDiscovery Life Sciences is a global market leader in biospecimen analysis and procurement for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostics industries. Driven by science, the Discovery team engages with customers in an innovative, consultative approach to overcoming obstacles and reaching a faster end result. We are Science at your Service™! For more information, visit dls.com.