New England IRB (NEIRB) will become part of the growing group of recently acquired IRBs by WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG), the world’s largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services for clinical research.

The acquisition expands WCG’s presence in New England clinical research and further increases NEIRB’s expertise in all phases of drug, medical device and behavioral research. The purchase follows WCG’s acquisitions in June of Midlands IRB of Kansas City, Mo., and San Diego-based Aspire IRB.

Financial terms of all three deals were not disclosed.

“With NEIRB we get a leadership IRB with an outstanding reputation and regional presence and an east coast leader in the hot spot of the biotech industry—the Boston area,” said Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D., WCG chairman and CEO.

He said NEIRB, like WCG’s other acquisitions, will remain independent, keeping its name and leadership intact, but it will be able to accelerate growth with access to WCG’s information technology and capital resources, training, business and science expertise and expanded marketing and sales.

For James Saunders, NEIRB president, becoming part of WCG will enable the 26-year-old IRB to provide clients with greater access to technologies and processes to make clinical research more efficient.

For more details, read the upcoming issue of CWWeekly on Monday, Sept. 15.