GHO realises investment in BioAgilytix to Cinven

• Under GHO’s ownership BioAgilytix has become a leader among global CRO’s following strong organic and inorganic growth – with significant investment driving expansion in operational capacity and capabilities as well as in international footprint.

• With a best of breed reputation for high-quality bioanalytical services, BioAgilytix supports the development and commercialisation of novel therapeutics to improve patient outcomes.

London, UK – Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, the European specialist investor in global healthcare, announces the realisation of its investment in portfolio company BioAgilytix to Cinven.

BioAgilytix, a leading global contract research organisation (CRO), today announced an agreement to be further capitalised by Cinven, a leading international private investment firm focused on building world-class global companies. Cinven will acquire a majority stake in BioAgilytix while current majority investor Cobepa, S.A., a Brussels-based private investment firm, will remain a significant minority investor in the Company.

Cobepa and GHO Capital, a leading specialist investor in global healthcare, acquired BioAgilytix in November of 2018 and have built the company into a recognised global leader in the contract research organisation market with a focus on large molecule bioanalytical testing. The investment by Cinven will provide BioAgilytix with increased funding and resources to meet the growing demand for its high-quality bioanalytical services, driven by its strong scientific reputation and leading expertise in supporting the development and commercialisation of novel therapeutics.

“Our focus on providing customers with industry leading scientific expertise coupled with superior service across the pharmaceutical development pathway has been our formula for success,” said Jim Datin, President and CEO of BioAgilytix. “As we move into our next chapter of our evolution, Cinven will provide the additional resources that will empower us to expand not only our geographical reach but will also enable us to invest further in our talent and facilities around the globe to meet the ever-growing needs of our customers.”

Peter Connolly, Managing Director and Head of North America of Cobepa said, “We are excited to continue working with Jim and the entire BioAgilytix management team and are thrilled to welcome Cinven as a new investor in the Company. The success of BioAgilytix is driven by its unwavering focus on both high-quality science and a customer-first orientation. These are exactly the hallmarks we seek in our investments. We look forward to partnering with Cinven and management for the next chapter of the Company’s growth.”

Alex Leslie, Partner, Healthcare and Head of US said, “Cinven is delighted to be making this investment into BioAgilytix. The organisation has genuine expertise and differentiated capabilities in the attractive bioanalytical testing market, providing excellent service to numerous pharma and biotech customers. Cinven plans to support the highly skilled management and scientific leadership teams to invest in capacity and capabilities to capture the compelling growth opportunity in the market, ultimately supporting the delivery of new therapies for patients globally. We look forward to working with the entire BioAgilytix team to help them to realise the full potential in the business.”

BofA Securities served as lead financial advisor to BioAgilytix, and William Blair and Lazard served as co-advisors. White & Case served as legal advisor and Deloitte LLP as accounting and tax advisor to BioAgilytix. Ropes & Gray acted as legal advisor to GHO with Deloitte LLP serving as tax advisor.

The transaction is expected to close after customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Further information:
GHO Capital Partners LLP
T +44 20 3700 7440
E [email protected]

About GHO Capital
Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, is a leading specialist healthcare investment advisor based in London. We apply global capabilities and perspectives to unlock high growth healthcare opportunities, targeting Pan-European and transatlantic internationalisation to build market leading businesses of strategic global value. Our proven investment track record reflects the unrivalled depth of our industry expertise and network. We partner with strong management teams to generate long-term sustainable value, improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery to enable better, faster, more accessible healthcare. For further information, please visit www.ghocapital.com.

About BioAgilytix
BioAgilytix is a leading global contract research organisation focused on supporting pharmaceutical and biotech partners in all phases of drug development. With laboratory locations in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park; Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia and Hamburg, Germany, BioAgilytix provides PK, immunogenicity, biomarkers, and cell-based assay services supporting the development and release testing of therapeutics across a number of industries and disease states.
BioAgilytix offers assay development, validation, and sample analysis under non-GLP, GLP, and GCP, as well as GMP quality control testing (i.e., product release testing, stability testing, etc.) BioAgilytix also offers diagnostic testing services at its CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited Boston laboratory.
BioAgilytix’s team of highly experienced scientific and QA professionals ensures high-quality science, data integrity and regulatory compliance through all phases of clinical development. BioAgilytix is a trusted partner to many top global pharmaceutical and biotech companies. For further information, please visit www.bioagilytix.com.