What is "quintiles"

n. (plural of quintile English)

Quintiles Transnational, INC (NYSE: Q), is an American multinational company. It is a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services with a network of more than 32,000 employees conducting business in approximately 100 countries.

Quintiles is the world’s largest contract research organization as ranked by reported service revenues, and is focused primarily on Phase II-IV clinical trials and associated laboratory and analytical services. The division of Quintiles Integrated Healthcare Services is an outsourcing partner for pharmaceutical companies to support sales and healthcare business services, such as outcome research and marketing.