Headlands Research Acquires Six Clinical Research Sites As It Seeks to Transform the Clinical Trial Process
November 13 2019 - 9:00AM
Headlands Research, a KKR-backed next-generation site organization
seeking to profoundly impact the clinical trial landscape, today
announced that it has acquired six clinical research centers across
the U.S. and Canada, establishing a strong foundation to fulfill
its mission to make high-quality therapeutics available to patients
in an expedited manner. The six acquired research centers span
three organizations: Centex Studies, Clinical Research Atlanta, and
Okanagan Clinical Trials.
Headlands Research aims to disrupt the
status quo by leveraging patient-centric best practices to
significantly increase the number of people who take part in trials
and exceed industry standards with the highest quality data. The
acquisition of these six highly regarded and well-established
research centers with long-standing research expertise gives the
organization a substantial footprint in the site organization
landscape.
“The acquisitions of these outstanding
clinical trial sites allow Headlands Research to meaningfully
impact the clinical trial process by focusing on the inclusion of
populations that are traditionally underserved in terms of
ethnicity and geography,” said Mark Blumling, CEO and Founder of
Headlands Research. “Moreover, our goal is to enable the approval
of high-quality therapeutics that will benefit all patients in
need, with a particular focus on specialty populations and complex
diseases.”
Headlands Research’s acquisitions
include:
- Centex Studies. Centex
Studies includes three multi-specialty research centers in Houston
and McAllen, Texas and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Centex Studies is
known for its successful physician partnership model, as well as
its adoption and creation of new technology in the site space. The
geographic presence of the three sites creates an ideal opportunity
for improved diverse and specialty trial participation,
specifically in the Hispanic and African-American populations.
- Clinical Research Atlanta.
Clinical Research Atlanta is a multi-specialty research group with
facilities located in Stockbridge and Griffin, Georgia. Clinical
Research Atlanta has a strong reputation for exceptional quality of
research and outstanding patient recruitment. The centers are
recognized for their expertise in the recruitment of specialty
populations, including healthy volunteers. As in the case of Centex
Studies, the geographic location of Clinical Research Atlanta
allows for improved participation among the underserved
African-American population.
- Okanagan Clinical Trials. Located in Kelowna
just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Okanagan Clinical
Trials is a high-quality, long-standing site addressing Central
Nervous System conditions.
“With esteemed leadership, access to
capital, and a focused strategy that includes acquiring established
and successful clinical trial sites, Headlands Research has
effectively set itself up for rapid growth,” said Ali Satvat,
Member of KKR and Head of KKR Health Care Strategic Growth. “With
more potential acquisitions on the horizon, Headlands is well
positioned to make significant strides in its goal to change the
clinical trial landscape.”
For Headlands Research, the
acquisition of these six sites represents the first step in its
plan to significantly impact the clinical research and trial space.
In the coming years, the organization plans further global
acquisitions, as well as building new clinical trial sites by
integrating clinical trials into clinical care. In doing so,
Headlands will dramatically increase the number of people
participating in clinical trials.
“The clinical research and trial space
faces a number of challenges, including a lack of trials that
effectively address underserved populations and complex diseases.
Headlands Research aims to change this trend,” said Dr. Neel
Varshney, Director at KKR. “With its priorities firmly focused on
high-quality data, faster study start-up and patient retention —
not to mention a diverse and growing roster of clinical sites in
the U.S. and Canada — Headlands has the ability to deliver access
to diverse and specialty populations that too often go
overlooked.”
About Headlands
Research Headlands Research was founded on the idea that
clinical trial research needs to significantly evolve to better
match the current healthcare climate, as well as the real-world
needs of patients. Its mission is to profoundly change the clinical
process through a platform of best-in-class research facilities
that gather high-quality data through increased trial participation
while addressing specialty populations that are underserved. Based
in San Francisco and backed by KKR, Headlands aims to ensure that
high-quality therapeutics are made available to patients who can
benefit from them. Additional information about the company is
available at www.headlandsresearch.com.
About KKRKKR is a
leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative
asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure,
real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge
funds. The investment in Headlands is being funded through KKR’s
Health Care Strategic Growth Fund. KKR aims to generate attractive
investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient
and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people,
and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies.
KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for
fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment
opportunities through its capital markets business. References to
KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored
funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:
KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com.
Media ContactLauren
Chazal, Headlands Researchlauren.chazal@headlandsresearch.com
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