Premier Research, a middle-market CRO that provides comprehensive clinical development, analytic and support services to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device customers worldwide, will receive a growth investment from Metalmark Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, which acquired its position from Indigo Capital, a long-established, independently-owned investment firm based in London.

Metalmark has over two decades of healthcare experience, which it plans to leverage to support Premier’s capitalization of the growing outsourced clinical trial market as it continues to provide high-quality services to its valued customers. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2016. Premier’s existing management team members will continue in their current roles. 

“Indigo has been a great partner to us, and we thank them for their dedicated support over the years while we welcome our new partners at Metalmark,” said Ludo Reynders, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Premier Research. “I am proud of the exciting work our team has pioneered since inception. We remain committed to our loyal customers and continue to prioritize and anticipate their needs as they develop life-changing therapies based upon our services. Looking ahead, we are thrilled to be working alongside the team at Metalmark. They have a proven track record of success, industry expertise, and extensive networks in our areas of focus, and we are excited to benefit from their involvement in our business.”  

“We are very excited to partner with Ludo and his strong leadership team at Premier,” said Fazle Husain, a partner at Metalmark Capital. “Our relationship with Ludo and his colleagues spans many years, from our early investments in the CRO industry in the 1990s. We look forward to leveraging our healthcare expertise and our capital base to build upon Premier’s existing momentum as a preeminent platform and grow its position as a leading, differentiated CRO that has a strongly defined presence in the market."