How a global research giant evolved from a small laboratory equipment manufacturer

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Fortrea is a major contract research organization that manages clinical trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms worldwide. Tracing its origins to a 1968 equipment manufacturer, the company has navigated decades of corporate restructuring, high-stakes acquisitions, and intense public scrutiny regarding its extensive use of non-human primates in scientific testing.

Fortrea Holdings Inc. operates as a contract research organization, providing end-to-end management for clinical trials ranging from phase I to phase IV. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, the company supports the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors. Its services encompass protocol design, patient recruitment, data management, and pharmacovigilance. Between 2019 and 2024, the firm conducted over 5,930 clinical trials involving more than 1 million subjects. The company is a significant player in the international primate trade, utilizing non-human primates for preclinical testing and research into oncology and neurodegenerative diseases.

The company's history is a complex web of acquisitions and name changes. Originally founded in 1968 as Environmental Sciences Corporation, it became Hazleton Laboratories in 1972, later joining the Corning organization. In 1997, it was spun off as Covance, which was subsequently acquired by Labcorp in 2015. Following a 2021 rebranding to Labcorp Drug Development, the entity was spun off again in 2023, emerging as the independent Fortrea Holdings. Throughout this evolution, the firm expanded its global footprint, establishing laboratories in locations such as Singapore, Shanghai, and across Europe.

The company has frequently faced public and legal challenges regarding its animal testing practices. In 1989, its Reston, Virginia facility became the site of a notable incident involving the discovery of the Reston virus in imported macaques—a strain of ebola that, while non-lethal to humans, gained notoriety through the book The Hot Zone. Later, in 2003 and 2004, undercover investigations by animal welfare organizations led to allegations of mistreatment at facilities in Germany and Virginia. While the company disputed the framing of these reports, the incidents resulted in regulatory investigations, legal settlements, and significant public debate regarding the ethics of laboratory animal care.

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