UK-based patient recruitment and trial management business Synexus has consolidated its presence in the Polish market by acquiring local company Osteomed for an undisclosed amount.
Based in Warsaw, Medical Centre Osteomed is a “well established and highly respected” clinical research operation that has been audited by the US Food and Drug Administration, Synexus noted.
Osteomed’s client list includes “many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations”, it added.
New research clinic
Synexus will combine its acquired and existing resources in Warsaw into a new research clinic that will be four times the size of Synexus’ current facility in the Polish city.
Over the past two years, the company has quadrupled its capacity across its four Polish sites in Wroclaw, Gdynia, Warsaw and Katowice, it pointed out.
In August 2009, Synexus completed the acquisition of CLCC, which operated three clinical trial centres in the major Polish conurbations of Warsaw, Gdynia and Katowice. Synexus, which has been active in Poland since 2006, expanded its operations in Gydnia the following July.
Market growth
Analysts have predicted that the clinical trial market in Poland will be worth US$323 million by 2015, helped by attractions such as access to high-quality medical expertise, significant cost advantages, a motivated patient population and “excellent” trial-data quality, Synexus observed.
“Synexus has long recognised the importance of Poland in the global clinical trials market in terms of the significant opportunities this region can offer,” commented chief executive officer Dr Christophe Berthoux.
“We have had a well-established presence in Poland for a number of years but felt that now was the time to further strengthen this, both in recognition of the area as well as in support of our business growth. The acquisition of Osteomed will enhance our capacity, brings us scientific expertise and experience in the field of bone diseases and access to an extensive patient database.”
Third pillar
The deal also creates “a third pillar in our global infrastructure”, Berthoux added. The company now runs 24 sites worldwide, with a significant presence in the UK, Germany and now Poland.
“Synexus’ success in Poland will be used as a platform to grow our business across Central and Eastern Europe where we already have clinics in Hungary, Ukraine and Bulgaria,” Berthoux said.
“This infrastructure enables us to offer scale and capacity to clients as well as stability, which are seen as vital by the pharmaceutical industry.”
