Icon focused on smooth transition, minimal turnover, says CEO on Mapi acquisition

31-Jul-2017 - Last updated on 01-Aug-2017 at 15:50 GMT

(Image: iStock/aizuoxin)

Integration of the Mapi Group has been initiated, Icon CEO Steve Cutler says, as the company looks to support customers facing increased pressure to demonstrate product value and safety.

Icon Plc acquired the Mapi Group last week. As Outsourcing-Pharma.com reported at the time, the acquisition expands the contract research organization’s (CRO) commercialization offerings.

“Our customers are facing greater scrutiny from regulators and reimbursement bodies to demonstrate product value and safety and they are looking to CROs to help them in this area,” Cutler told Outsourcing-Pharma.com.

As such, Icon acquired Mapi to “significantly enhance” the company’s offerings in real-world evidence, health economics, pricing and market access, language services, and strategic regulatory services, Cutler said.

The newly combined late-phase group will have more than 1,400 professionals.

The acquisition also gives the company direct access to Mapi Research Trust, a subscribed library of Clinical Outcomes Assessments (COAs), with exclusive distribution of more than 300 families of validated questionnaires.

Cutler explained the integration process has been initiated and is focused on maintaining project delivery and ensuring a smooth transition of Mapi employees to Icon and minimal staff turnover.

Evolving with the market

Looking forward, Cutler said he expects the CRO market to continue to grow as more customers turn to outsourcing as a way to improve clinical trial productivity and develop commercialization strategies.

“To address these needs, we will continue to grow both organically and through our M&A strategy which focuses on improving our market position in key segments,” he added.

Cutler cited Icon’s late phase offering as a good example of how the company has done this, noting organic growth and the acquisition of Oxford Outcomes, PriceSpective, MediMedia, and now, Mapi.

“We have also improved our site and patient recruitment capabilities through the acquisition of PMG, by growing our multi-specialty site alliance network and through early adoption of EHR/EMR tools, such as TriNetX,” he said.

“We will continue to evolve our services and ensure we maintain the right level of scientific, medical and therapeutic expertise in line with customer demand and we will also look at adapting our services to offer flexible solutions to a variety of customer segments.”