Manipal AcuNova Ltd (MAL) and European company ECRON GmbH announced a definitive agreement to merge here on Monday. The new company will be known as ECRON AcuNova.
MAL Chairman and MD D A Prasanna said this new entity would combine clinical research expertise of ECRON with AcuNova’s association with India’s largest medical University.
The company will provide end-to-end services for phase I-IV clinical trials including project management, clinical data management (CDM), biostatistics, medical writing, central lab and bio-availability/bio equivalence (BA/BE) studies to pharma, biotech, device and diagnostic companies. The combined strength will be 265 employees slated to grow year on year.
Joint benefits
Speaking on the merger ECRON President Klaus D Wiedey said, “This merger will benefit our European and US customer. The possibility of extending trials from Europe to India will make drug development faster.
Trial data can be analysed with biostaticians and data management professionals from India, speeding up submission to regulators like EMEA and US FDA.” Prasanna said, “This merger will combine MAL’s access to investigator’s and patients, with ECRON’S quality reputation, making drugs available faster. Clients will be able to conduct trials at West and East European hospitals and enter regulated markets.”
Wiedey added that they could take up bigger complex projects with a broader range of services like central lab and BA/BE services. Frankfurt will be the headquarter for Euprope and Bangalore for Asia.
