Premier Research, a provider of clinical development services, has acquired Regulatory Professionals. Premier Research was acquired by Metalmark Capital in November 2016.
Regulatory Professionals (RPI) provides strategic advice, regulatory planning, and submission services that assists biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies to advance the development and registration of their drug and medical device products in worldwide markets. RPI’s services cover a range of therapeutic areas including oncology, neurology, cardiovascular, and dermatology. The company has 40 employees and was founded in 1995 with a headquarters near San Jose in Newark, CA (www.regprofessional.com).
Premier Research provides clinical development, analytic, and support services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device customers worldwide. Sectors of specialization include analgesia, dermatology, medical devices, neuroscience, oncology, pediatrics, and rare disease. Premier Research is headquartered in Durham, NC and has operations in 84 countries and 1,250 employees (www.premier-research.com).
Premier Research will use the acquisition of RPI to form a new Regulatory Services Division which will be led by Donna Kato, RPI’s Founder and CEO. “Our ability to create value as a trusted partner and integral member of our clients’ scientific, regulatory, and development teams has earned us a reputation as a strategic adviser supporting regulatory activities in the United States, Canada, European Union, and Japan,” said Ms. Kato. “Combining with Premier Research will give us a much larger footprint and access to resources that complement our regulatory service offerings, such as data management and biostatistics, clinical development, safety management, DMPK, and other disciplines important to our clients.” (Editor’s note: DMPK refers to drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics).
“Taking a new drug or medical device from concept to market requires a thoughtful regulatory strategy, expertly prepared documents for agency submission, and submission management in accordance with increasingly stringent requirements,” said Ludo Reynders, CEO of Premier Research. “Most of our clients are specialty pharma and biotech companies that need ready access to development expertise. Joining with RPI will expand our ability to help these pioneers realize the potential of their novel therapies and life-changing innovations. Through our growth in this segment, we have become the CRO that is really built for biotech.”
Metalmark Capital was established by the principals of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) to manage the Metalmark Capital and MSCP funds. Since 1986, the Metalmark Capital and MSCP funds have invested $7 billion of equity capital in over 100 companies. Sectors of interest include healthcare, agribusiness, growth industrials, and natural resources. Metalmark Capital manages funds with $3.7 billion in aggregate capital commitments. The firm is based in New York (www.metalmarkcapital.com).
William Blair & Company (www.williamblair.com) was the financial adviser to Premier Research and Edgemont Capital Partners (www.edgemontcapital.com) was the financial advisor to RPI.
© 2018 Private Equity Professional | July 31, 2018