Merger creates global CRO to ‘seamlessly’ meet customer needs, says CEO

Boston Biomedical Associates (BBA), a full-service medical device contract research organization (CRO), will merge with Factory-CRO Group, a global CRO focused on in vitro diagnostics.

BBA told us that the decision to merge came after the company recognized a need for its services to be available at global scale.

With the merging of BBA and the Factory-CRO group, the two companies will have the capacity to provide services internationally with local resources in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe where Factory-CRO holds operations. “We can now provide clients with a global CRO partner that knows the local regulations and can provide an experienced local team,” ​Lauren Baker, president and CEO of BBA told us.

These local resources were attained after Factory-CRO acquired Milestone Research Organization, Five Corners, and Clinical Device Group.

Joris Bannenberg, Factory-CRO’s chief medical officer, told us, “Each of the companies within the Factory-CRO Group, Factory-CRO, BBA, Five Corners, and Milestone will work seamlessly to meet our client’s needs in areas of the world where we previously operated with outsourced or contract resources.”​

“In addition, it means that each of our clients now has access to services within one organization that previously did not exist, for instance, regulatory affairs support in multiple geographies.”​

The merger also will allow clients conducting clinical studies in one geographic location to transition to clinical studies in other regions while using the same CRO, providing continuity to the project team, said Bannenberg

 “In the past, without formalized relationships with other CROs, there was a delay in projects transitioning from one geography to another,” ​he explained.

Financial information could not be disclosed at this time, though the company informed us the Factory-CRO group will be led by a board of directors and a CEO will be announced shortly.