CRO

M&A juggernaut Bioclinica picks up Compass Research as deals keep coming

Bioclinica won’t pause for breath on its acquisitive spree over the past year as it has bought another company, this time Compass Research, as it looks to expand its U.S. trial network presence.

Orlando, FL-based Compass Research runs a clinical research site network that enjoys direct access to a number of specialized patient populations, specifically in the area of neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases related to aging.

Compass researchers have, according to a statement, supported more than 1,300 trials and contributed to the FDA approval of more than 80 biopharmaceutical products.

It also has an established presence in The Villages--the largest retirement community in the U.S. and home to around 180,000 elderly residents.

The company hopes this population will help it with research into areas such as arthritis, back, knee and hip pain, women’s health, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, among many others.

It also boasts a database of nearly 80,000 potential subjects garnered through a network of docs and practices with in-clinic recruiters.

With this buy, one of many this year, Bioclinica says this “solidifies Bioclinica’s position as a premier global research network.”

Bioclinica President and CEO John Hubbard said: “This exciting acquisition brings established, highly successful U.S. investigational sites into our global research network.

“The Compass Research team has built a strong operation that will set the model for our clinical research expansion in the United States. With its industry reputation for being both patient-focused and the ‘go-to site’ for Alzheimer’s research, Compass will be a key part of our global research network.”

Compass Research CEO and co-founder Sean Stanton added: “Undoubtedly, access to patients combined with exceptional patient care have contributed to our industry-leading reputation. Our highly successful model is complementary to Bioclinica’s global network, and we feel confident in our ability to replicate it in other geographies as we add more sites across the country.”

As part of the buyout, Stanton, as well as the company's CMO Dr. Craig Curtis, COO Jeff Pohlig, and Compass primary investigators will assume “key roles” in the ongoing development of Bioclinica’s U.S. site network, the company said--but did not give further details on what these roles would be.

This comes as Bioclinica is said to be seeking a $1.3 billion sale, according to anonymous sources talking to Reuters. The company has not spoken about the rumors.

- check out the release

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