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Irish company Uniphar has acquired US pharma consulting firm RRD International to expand its reach on the other side of the Atlantic.
Dublin-based Uniphar will be expanding its international offerings with the acquisition of RRD International. RRD is a US pharmaceutical advisory group providing services throughout the early stages of product development.
Uniphar said the move will facilitate its growing requirement for delivering US-based expanded access programmes (EAPs). The Irish company added that the RRD team has supported the FDA regulatory approval of more than 100 assets, and that its regulatory and operational support to biopharmaceutical companies across the globe will form an integral part of Uniphar’s US offering.
The purchase price includes an upfront payment plus further payments once performance-based targets are met, with Uniphar aiming to get a return on capital employed to the group of between 12pc and 15pc within three years.
The company said the existing RRD management team will remain within the core part of its business going forward. This deal, along with its recently announced acquisition of Diligent Health Solutions, will help Uniphar’s capacity to design and implement patient-centric EAPs across the US.
‘A truly global partner’
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of RRD which adds significantly to our US product access capabilities,” said Uniphar CEO Ger Rabbette.
“Becoming a truly global partner for our clients in this area is an important strategic objective for our group. The highly experienced RRD team brings deep US regulatory insights, which will further accelerate our growth towards market leadership. The acquisition marks an important strategic milestone for the group and grows our US workforce to close to 170 colleagues.”
Chuck Finn, RRD chair and CEO, added: “Over the past 18 years, we’ve played a critical role for our partners, helping transform numerous early-stage, innovative product candidates into holistic development programmes.
“This partnership enables us to realise the potential of RRD’s unique development model while, simultaneously, expanding it to support Uniphar’s product access business in the US.”
As well as its acquisition deals in the US, Uniphar is also acquiring Hickey’s Pharmacy Group in Ireland. The deal was approved by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission this week.
