Surprise Quintiles-IMS Health merger may signal rising value of data assets

In a move that sent shockwaves through the life sciences industry last week, Quintiles Transnational Holdings and IMS Health Holdings announced an all-stock merger of equals—a transaction that ranks as the largest CRO merger in history. The com­bined equity market capitalization of the two companies is more than $17.6 billion, and the enterprise value is more than $23 billion. “The surprising thing is that this is an enormous deal for this space,” said Tim Evans, senior analyst at Wells Fargo Securities Equity Research. “The strategic significance remains to be seen, but the big picture here is that data is going to matter a lot more in terms of how clinical trials are conducted.”

McConnell Centers for Innovative Medicine is the new model for patient engagement

 The McConnell Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM), a standalone research institution just a skywalk away from the Research Institute at McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), has opened. The new RI-MUHC super hospital and research center is designed to connect physicians, nurses and researchers. By work­ing together, they can develop and evaluate complex medical problems and make use of industry innovation, including diagnostic tools and therapies.

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