Investcorp acquires Danish clinical trial firm Sanos

Bahrain’s private equity company, Investcorp has acquired Sanos Group (Sanos), a leading provider of specialized clinical trial services to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.

Sanos, based in Denmark, is a global Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing pharmaceutical, biotech, and research organizations with value-added services to help, organize and perform clinical trials, a vital part of new drug and treatment development.

Sanos Group consists of a Contract Research Organization (CRO) specialized in osteoarthritis (OA) and a Site Management Organization (SMO) focused on lifestyle and age-related diseases with a wider variety of indications. Sanos has developed global fame for its scientific experience, and track record of executing safe and successful clinical trials. Sanos’s scientific leadership in OA, along with its deep network of key opinion leaders and its integrated value chain of three research clinics in Denmark, makes it a favoured strategic partner for OA clinical trials.

Investcorp aims to support Sanos’s efforts to capitalize multiple market opportunities by increasing possibilities in OA sector and to expand the network of research clinics to new geography.

“Sanos has all the key attributes that we look for in potential investments. It is an entrepreneurial organization with a clearly differentiated value proposition as well as a leading market position in a growing, resilient, and mission-critical industry. Sanos has established itself as the partner of choice for pharma and biotech companies looking to conduct clinical trials for osteoarthritis, a condition for which there is currently a very high unmet medical need given the large and growing population of people being affected by it and the fact that there is no cure for it at the moment.”

“Leveraging its strong OA franchise, we believe that Sanos has significant potential for international expansion through new research clinics in the US -the largest market for clinical trials- and other European countries beyond Denmark. We look forward to partnering with Sanos’ experienced management team to realize the opportunities ahead,” he further added.

Tarek AlMahjoub, Head of UAE and Oman for Investcorp’s Private Wealth said, “At Investcorp, we focus on investment opportunities in mid-sized companies with strong growth potential, solid cash flow, prominent positioning within their industry, and best-in-class management teams with a robust track record. We believe that Sanos aligns with all of our key criteria and we look forward to supporting the company’s growth and expansion.”

Investcorp has an established history of investing internationally in the healthcare industry. The acquisition of Sanos is the 11th investment by Investcorp in the healthcare sector and the third in Europe, following the acquisition of a majority stake in Cambio Healthcare Systems, a network committed to providing affordable and high-quality dental care in Germany.