PharmaLink acquires UK CRO

Richard Staub, president and CEO of the US-based firm, said that the decision was prompted by the fact that PharmaLink was outgrowing its present placing in the market. "After several years of robust growth, it was critical for PharmaLink to expand its clinical reach and client service offerings and become a global company​," he said. PharmaLink claims to be the first full-service CRO to integrate "clinical and technological expertise​" in managing Phase I-IV clinical trials and and post-marketing programs "online in real time​". Matrix currently provides core clinical operation services including project management, clinical monitoring and regulatory functions and both firms have previously partnered together on numerous occasions on global clinical trial implementation and management. In this vein, Staub said that the combination of Matrix with PharmaLink's "unique eClinical service delivery model will allow us jointly to better serve our clients who require development services throughout the North America, Western, Central, and Eastern Europe including Russia​." Matrix's president Nigel Trim, who will be heading up European operations for the combined company added: "The synergies between Matrix and PharmaLink will provide our clients with a full range of clinical research outsourcing solutions to include full CRO services combining the talents of both Matrix and PharmaLink, as well as flexible resourcing solutions with the combination of eReady Monitors, a staffing division of PharmaLink with Matrix Clinical Solutions, its counterpart within Matrix Contract Research​." The acquired business will be absorbed into PharmaLink's US clinical resources and global e-data management and biostatistical groups. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. There has been a hive of M&A activity in the CRO sector of late as the clinical trials outsourcing industry continues to gather momentum. As such, the PharmaLink deal is one of a number of agreements to be inked in the last couple of months alone. In June, Encorium Group announced its intention to acquire an oncology-focused CRO - Prologue Research International - for $13m, along with plans to merge with another entity - Fine Success Investments - that will offer it a wider global reach. Earlier in the month Kendle announced the purchase of a privately owned early-phase CRO in Canada for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of the business, called DecisionLine Clinical Research Corporation, will see Kendle join the ranks of the growing number of CROs bolstering their early phase capabilites. Meanwhile, in May, Quintiles bolstered its growing Consulting business with the acquisition of a US decision-analytics and market research firm. The CRO purchased Boston-based Eidetics for an undisclosed sum, reasoning that it would "strengthen its core consulting offerings in the areas of product development, commercialisation and market access​".