French clinical trial lab and diagnostics provider Cerba HealthCare has acquired Canadian CRO Cirion Biopharma in a move aimed at expanding its service offerings and geographic presence. With this acquisition, Cerba gains access to Cirion’s bioanalytical capabilities in biosimilars and biologics development, including pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) and immunogenicity testing. Cirion also brings expertise in managing international multicenter clinical studies and specimen management support for complex development projects.
Cirion, which employs more than 80 individuals, offers a range of R&D services, spanning from preclinical drug discovery to phase IV trial drug development. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“I see Cirion as a true strategic step in improving our offering both geographically and scientifically. It deepens our North American presence while featuring sound expertise in PKPD assay development and testing, which is instrumental knowledge for our customers as it relates drug concentration to drug effect.”
– Cerba Research CEO Mario Papillon
As part of the agreement, Cirion will become integrated into Cerba Research, a division of Cerba HealthCare. This acquisition aligns with the recent trend of mergers and acquisitions in the CRO (Contract Research Organization) sector, highlighting the dynamic nature of the industry.
“We are very proud of what CIRION has accomplished over the past 30 years, and yet, it was time to find a new foundation to bring our scientific contribution to the next level. It is an honor to join the Cerba HealthCare galaxy though their world class clinical research provider: with Cerba Research, we found the perfect breeding ground where our combined expertise and capabilities will help our teams meet the ever-changing scientific, logistical and analytical challenges of clinical studies. This is truly galvanizing stage for our people to see their purpose pursued at a greater scale and we will remain closely associated to the business operations of this new entity. The CIRION scientists and experts are very excited to join Cerba Research in their continuous quest to provide the best possible solutions to serve and improve the clinical trials of our life science customers.”
– Dr. Sylvain Desrochers and Dr. Lise Dallaire, founders of CIRION
