Less than two months after the gigantic QuintilesIMS officially came into being, the newly merged healthcare intelligence company has tapped the clinical trials division of TKL Research.
The Rochelle Park, NJ-based CRO is selling its clinical trials division to become part of Novella Clinical, a subsidiary of QuintilesIMS, but will hold onto its research clinics division, which offers full-service inpatient and outpatient Phase I services. The two parties expect to close the deal by the end of this year.
Early this May, the NC-based CRO Quintiles and CT-based healthcare data and consulting firm IMS announced plan to merge as one and completed the deal in October. In its third quarter report released early this month, QuintilesIMS has set its fourth-quarter revenue guidance at $1.95 billion to $1.99 billion.
The newly formed single company is particularly interested in TKL’s expertise in the field of dermatology, as dermatology-focused biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly seeking specialized experts to help bring their products to market, said Phil Bridges, senior director of corporate communications at QuintilesIMS. Adding TKL Research’s more-than-two-decade experience in dermatology indications will complement Novella’ existing capabilities as a specialty CRO and expand both its business units and therapeutic expertise, he added.
Going forward, it is very likely that QuintilesIMS will keep TKL Research’s current staff team, as they “are an integral part of its overall value,” said Bridges. “In fact, the experience, expertise, and quality of the people were major reasons to acquire TKL Research’s Clinical Trials Division.” But detailed plans as to whether they will stay in New Jersey, or relocate to North Carolina were not shared.