Lexitas Pharma Services, an ophthalmology-focused contract research organization (CRO) and portfolio company of QHP Capital, has acquired Erie Retina Research, CASExERIE, LLC and the assets of Element Erie: Imaging & Reading Center PLLC. Erie Retina Research will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lexitas. As part of the transaction, Dr. David Almeida, MD, MBA, PhD, will join Lexitas as Chief Retina Strategy Officer. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Erie Retina Research is a premier vitreoretinal clinical research center in Erie, Pennsylvania, with more than 40 active trials and more than 1,000 patients enrolled since 2019. CASExERIE serves as an ophthalmic innovation hub for surgical training, product development and advanced research, while Element Erie provides specialized ophthalmic imaging review and interpretation services for clinical trials. The acquisitions bring deep scientific, surgical and imaging expertise in retina to Lexitas’ operational platform.
The integrated platform creates a comprehensive retina research ecosystem combining CRO services with high-performing sites, innovation capabilities and centralized reading center functions. This strengthens Lexitas’ ability to deliver faster enrollment, operational efficiency, and high-quality data for sponsors developing therapies for retinal diseases.
Agenda Health served as financial advisor to the seller.
According to data captured in the LevinPro HC database, this transaction represents the 39th Life Sciences R&D acquisition of the year, and the eighth in the clinical trial specialty. There were 24 clinical trial acquisition announcements in 2025, 27 acquisitions in 2024 and 42 in 2023.
