DERBY, U.K.—Bionical, an integrated outsource specialist to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and public health industries, has acquired Emas Pharma, a global clinical research organization (CRO).
According to Graham McIntosh, CEO of Bionical, “The acquisition of Emas and the addition of clinical research, pharmacovigilance, regulatory, medical information and medical affairs capabilities will support Bionical’s mission to deliver improved health outcomes for patients. Bionical’s clinical division currently provides the supply of comparator products for clinical trials as well as nurse educator teams and public health services and has a wide base of clients internationally. Emas, which has a significant client base of emerging and specialized biopharma companies, brings an extended global footprint with offices in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland.”
Emas, which provides pharmaceutical development and clinical research services worldwide, will join Bionical’s existing fast-growing clinical services business. The acquisition is part of Bionical’s strategy to provide high-quality clinical, commercial and communications services to pharmaceutical, biotech and public health companies in the global healthcare industry, McIntosh said.
Bionical’s services span the product lifecycle and include comparator supply for clinical trials, clinical educator services, contract sales solutions, recruitment, digital and educational platforms. In the United Kingdom, Bionical provides industry-leading public health services such as Quit 51, a stop-smoking service that uses the latest research, evidence and licensed medication to support patients to stop smoking. Emas provides pharmaceutical and device development services worldwide and specializes in partnering with specialist pharma and biotech companies.
“Emas Pharma adds specialized pharmaceutical and device development services worldwide,” explained Dr. Peter Kennerley, CEO of Emas Pharma. “We now have in-depth expertise in drug development from complex small early-phase and large global pivotal studies and all the regulatory implications. We work as part of the client team and our expert team members stay on the project. Working together across the Bionical group, we map patient pathways and work with clients on maximizing speed to market and effective commercialization post-approval.”
He added, “We provide services globally through our offices in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and the UK and deliver high-quality, full-service drug development solutions while retaining flexibility and delivering value. In addition, working across the Bionical group means that we can support all aspects of drug development and commercialization from first into man right the way through the lifecycle.”
Emas will continue to operate as a separate business under the existing leadership of Kennerley, who will join the Bionical board. Emas and Bionical staff will work together to create tailored solutions for clients.
According to Kennerley, Emas will benefit from access to the field and contact center-based nursing infrastructure with its educational and engagement platforms that Bionical has developed for healthcare professionals and patients. These services can enhance the recruitment and aid retention of patients in clinical trials. In addition, Emas will utilize Bionical’s expertise in sourcing comparator products for clinical trials.
“We are delighted to join the Bionical group, which is a perfect synergy for Emas Pharma,” Kennerley said. “Being part of a wider family of companies means that we will be offering our clients an even broader range of services to complement our current offerings; from nurse specialists to help track patients lost to follow up, to call centers for medical information and from clinical trial supply support to healthcare communications. We know that joining Mac and the Bionical team will help us extend our reputation even further.”
“Bionical will benefit from the deep scientific expertise and regulatory experience within Emas,” McIntosh said. “Many of Bionical’s clients are launching new products or launching to new markets.”
Emas is Bionical’s third strategic acquisition in little over a year, following the successful acquisitions in 2015 of U.K.-based North 51 and U.S.-based McCallan Healthcare. These earlier acquisitions brought public health, digital, educational and further commercial services to the rapidly strengthening Bionical brand, ahead of the current Emas acquisition which unifies and completes Bionical’s patient-centric service portfolio.
As Gareth Davies, commercial director for Bionical, explained, “Both businesses have grown rapidly over the last few years, and combining the businesses enhances the international footprint and broadens the services the combined company can offer.”
