Quality Assistance, Thuin

The company Quality Assistance, set up in Thudinie Technoparc, analyses medications for pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

“I reduced my commute to work by car from 95km to 30km. This change definitely allowed me to find a good work-life balance,” Florence Valtin, Quality Assistance analyst, explains. And adds: “Not only is the company closer to home but, what’s more, the work is interesting.”

For more than 35 years, Quality Assistance has been performing analyses and carrying out studies on stability and quality control of medications being developed or released onto the market to demonstrate that they are effective, safe and of good quality. Florence Valtin works as an analyst on one of the lab teams. She receives samples of medications then prepares and tests them.

Florence Valtin works on very different products. “I can both test medications, and also develop methods to test them or check if all the tests are correct and will last in the long run. It is very interesting,” she specifies.

The challenge? 500 innovative medications in 5 years

The company works primarily on innovative medications. It has, moreover, taken on the challenge of analysing 500 innovative medications in 5 years. “During a team building event in 2015, we got together and thought about a way to present our vision in the form of a shared and quantifiable objective. This challenge reflects everyone’s willingness to get involved in pushing forward and makes concrete our role as players in the world of healthcare for the public at large,” states Julie Jia, in the communication service management.

Most of the innovative medications on which Quality Assistance is working are related to oncological applications.

Quality Assistance works primarily with pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies. These include companies in the TOP 50. “These companies call on our services especially when they have neither the internal expertise nor the necessary resources,” she explains. “We are, as it were, their analytical partner.”

The analyses comprise a number of steps. First, a method is developed to analyse the sample. Then, it’s validated, while testing its limits. Finally, it is applied to check the quality and stability of a product.

Complex analyses at one location

The company has two advantages to offer its customers: the analyses are carried out at a single location, contrary to what is usually carried out in the domain, and it offers a very wide field of expertise. “We can respond to the quality standards of both the European and the American markets,” she specifies.

To optimize its services and respond to the needs of its customers, Quality Assistance has implemented a regulatory, scientific and technological monitoring system. The company is therefore a pioneer in its analytical expertise and can thus contribute to speeding up the time-to-market of new medications.

A family, sports and local club

The company is 190 people strong, while remaining at the same time very family oriented. “Here, we all give each other a kiss, we know each other well,” Florence Valtin relates, with a big smile.

Sport has something to do with it: the company considers it very important. “Many sports activities are organized throughout the year. We can go jogging, mountain biking, play tennis, and so on. They also plan trips. In June, for example, 18 employees went to climb Mont-Blanc.”

There are also cooking classes, Saint-Nicholas party for the children etc.

In the future, the company should grow. Its goal is to nearly double the surface area of its buildings over the next few years, especially to develop human resources management and training services as well as to build new laboratories here. “By 2030, we should have gone from 190 to 300 employees,” Julie Jia concludes.

Contact :
Quality Assistance
Technoparc de Thudinie, 2
6536 Donstiennes
+32 (0) 71 53 47 81
www.quality-assistance.com

©Photos et vidéos/ Alex Dossogne et Reed