Charles River Laboratories Buys Vigene Biosciences

Charles River Laboratories Buys Vigene Biosciences

The global contract research organization Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) is back with a new deal for Vigene Biosciences, Inc. The deal is valued at $292.5 million in cash up front, plus contingent additional payments of up to $57.5 million based on future performance.  Vigene Biosciences is a gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing viral vector-based gene delivery solutions. The acquisition of Vigene Biosciences will enhance Charles River’s gene therapy capabilities in the high-growth, value-added cell and gene therapy CDMO sector. Vigene is expected to generate annual revenue of $30 to $35... Read More »
Charles River Labs Adds MPI Research

Charles River Labs Adds MPI Research

The CRO deals just keep coming. Four have been announced since the beginning of the year,  targeting contract research organizations (CROs). The latest announcement came from Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE: CRL), which is paying $800 million for Mattawan, Michigan-based MPI Research. This is the highest disclosed price for an acquisition by Charles River since 2011. MPI is a premier non-clinical contract research organization (CRO) that provides comprehensive testing services to biopharmaceutical and medical device companies worldwide. Its acquisition enhances Charles River’s ability to partner with clients across the drug discovery and development continuum. This... Read More »

Quotient Clinical Builds a U.S. CRO Presence

The clinical research (CRO) market in the United States has attracted the interest of foreign investors looking to build up their platforms overseas. Quotient Clinical, a privately-held CRO based in Edinburgh, Scotland, acquired two U.S.-based CROs in February 2017, in an effort to bring its innovative Translational Pharmaceutics ® platform to America. But this CRO had to change a few hands over the past few years before it could reach acquirer status. In December 2013, the U.K.-based Quotient Bioresearch Group sold Quotient Clinical to London-based Bridgepoint Development Capital, marking Bridgepoint’s entry into a growing CRO market. Just two years later, in December 2015,... Read More »

CROs Are Back, Many with Specialties

We’ve documented the increase in biotechnology acquisitions and license deals by pharmaceutical companies in previous posts. But the impact of pharma’s move away from in-house R&D has benefited other sectors of the healthcare industry, particularly clinical research organizations (CROs). For those outside the technology side of healthcare, CROs provide outsourced research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries on a contract basis. Through mid-November, we’ve seen an increase of 325% in deal volume for CROs, compared with the year before. In 2015, just five deals for these targets were announced. So far this year, 17 are on the... Read More »

Charles River Buys WIL Research

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE CRL) started the year off with the acquisition of WIL Research, which provides safety assessment, contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services to biopharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial chemical companies worldwide. The purchase price was approximately $585 million in cash. WIL Research will join Celsis International Ltd., acquired in July 2015 for $212 million, in Charles River’s growing global business. Celsis provides rapid bacterial detection systems for quality control testing in the biopharmaceutical and consumer products industries. This acquisition will grow its global presence, especially in Europe. It will also... Read More »