INC aims to bolster consulting arm with Avos acquisition

18-Jan-2011 - Last updated on 18-Jan-2011 at 13:04 GMT

US CRO INC Research has bought industry consulting group Avos Life Sciences, citing pharma clients’ need to maximize return on R&D and minimize risk as the key driver.

Under acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, Avos’ consultants Neil MacAllister, Keith Ruark, Kathleen Griffin and David Ewbank have joined INC’s headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

INC EVP of strategic development Alistair Macdonald told Outsourcing-pharma.com that the investment reflects growing customer demand for strategic consulting in clinical development projects.

“We remain very focused on bringing operational efficiencies to our customers, yet we have found that sponsors are also looking for additional expertise to help them make the most informed decision as possible.”

“The Avos team,” Macdonald continued “has developed analytical tools and expertise around several areas of need,” citing market access, portfolio optimization and capital allocation as strong areas for the consulting group.

Avos will continue to work with existing customer base as a separate division within INC’s strategic consulting arm.

Alliances

The Avos acquisition also expands the Alliance Partnerships team that INC set up last year.

The unit, which is led by Tim Dietlin, Manfred Weiler and Bruce Wakeman, is designed to help sponsors, contract research organizations (CROs) and other service providers establish partnerships that accelerate the development process.

Macdonald explained that: “Clinical delivery alliances are ways in which we can assist clients with risk mitigation strategies while at the same time strengthening relationships with our clients and improving the business prospects.”

“We have received a positive response to these types of services, which clearly take time to develop,” he continued, adding that “We feel the AVOS team and its reputation will provide additional recognition and expertise that our Alliance customers are looking for.”

Macdonald also sees similar opportunities regulatory affairs, particularly in submission package development services, and added that: “We view this as a significant area of differentiation for INC Research given the current regulatory environment and have chosen to invest accordingly.”