The new CRO will be called Ecron AcuNova and will have clients in the U.S. and Europe.
Manipal AcuNova (MAL) and Ecron signed a definitive agreement to merge forming Ecron AcuNova. The new entity will benefit from Ecron’s clinical research expertise based in Europe and MAL’s association with what is reportedly India’s largest medical university.
Ecron AcuNova states that it will provide end-to-end services for Phase I–IV trials. This will include project management, clinical data management, biostatistics, and bio-availability/bio-equivalence studies for pharma, biotech, device, and diagnostic companies.
The combined strength will reportedly be 265 employees slated to grow year over year. European headquarters will be located in Frankfurt, U.S. HQ in Princeton, NJ, and Bangalore will serve as the base for Asian operations.
“This merger will benefit our European and U.S. clients,” remarks Dr. K.W. Wiedey, president of Ecron. “The possibility of extending trials from Europe to India will make drug development faster. Trial data can be analyzed with biostatisticians and data management professionals from India, speeding up submission to regulators like EMEA and U.S. FDA. We can take up bigger complex projects with a broader range of services like central lab and PK/PD service.”