Acquisition Expands Phase I Capabilities

By Ed Miseta, Chief Editor, Clinical Leader

Willem Jan Drijfhout, EVP, EDS and managing director, PRA

Clinical research firm PRA has announced it will be acquiring privately-held specialty research firm CRI Lifetree. CRI’s focus has been on early stage patient population studies with a focus in Human Abuse Liability (HAL), addiction, pain, psychiatry, neurology, pediatric and infectious disease services.

With three Clinical Pharmacology Centers and over 200 beds, combined with over 20 years of clinical experience, CRI is one of the largest providers of patient population Phase I and confined Phase II-III services in the United States.  

"PRA's Early Development Services (EDS) division and CRI Lifetree are a perfect fit," said Willem Jan Drijfhout, executive vice president, EDS and managing director. "We both have a strong scientific foundation and now, with a total of 500 beds and eight Clinical Pharmacology Units, we will be able to bring our wide range of highly-specialized services to our clients as one of the largest Phase I organizations in the world."

PRA offers a wide range of specialized early development services from both its U.S. and EU locations. Drijfhout believes there is additional need in the market for companies with the ability to run patient Phase I studies. “PRA’s capabilities in Central Europe have been supporting this so far, and the acquisition of CRI Lifetree will enable us to continue serving this growing demand,” he says. “HAL studies are also increasingly demanded due to regulatory pressure and can only be done at a handful of sites. With the CRI acquisition, PRA is now the only CRO with global early development services with the capability to perform HAL studies.”

PRA believes the two companies will be complementary is other ways as well. CRI Lifetree is focused on patient Phase I studies in CNS. PRA has performed many patient Phase I studies in immunology, infectious diseases, and metabolism. The merged company will create a wide geographic reach throughout the U.S., with early phase units on the west coast, east coast, and in the mid-west. “Always a unit around the corner.” Notes Drijfhout. “Additionally, both companies have their roots in science and serve their clients as partners in drug development. These relationships go much deeper than simply executing a trial.”

"CRI Lifetree highly complements PRA's services and capabilities," said Colin Shannon, president and CEO, PRA. "Together we are building a leading early Phase CNS platform capable of providing clients with a comprehensive set of specialized clinical services."

"There is a very strong cultural fit between CRI Lifetree and PRA," said Jeffrey Kinell, CEO, CRI Lifetree. "Both companies share a dedication to scientific leadership, expansion of highly specialized services to meet the emerging needs of our clients, an uncompromising focus on quality, and a belief that our strength is in our people and the way in which they work together."

CRI Lifetree is headquartered in Mount Laurel, N.J., with three clinic locations in Marlton, N.J., Philadelphia, Pa., and Salt Lake City, Utah.