Citoxlab, a CRO for non-clinical research, has announced an investment and partnership deal with Experimental Pharmacology and Oncology Berlin-Buch (EPO), a CRO providing services for preclinical oncology research.
Dr Jean-François Le Bigot, president and CEO of Citoxlab Group said: ‘We are particularly happy that EPO’s management agreed to our investment proposal. Its scientific reputation and the reliability of its studies are widely recognised in the oncology community. More than 40 per cent of the new drugs under development target cancer. Offering an integrated services portfolio which includes pharmacology alongside drug safety, pharmacokinetics and bioanalysis/biomarkers will allow Citoxlab-EPO’s clients to save time and money and avoid the risks linked to moving from one CRO to another.’
Investment in the German CRO, specialised in the preclinical assessment of new anti-cancer drugs, strengthens Citoxlab’s pharmacology portfolio, which will benefit from synergies in preclinical safety and biomarkers services already provided by Citoxlab
Founded in 1997, EPO is an AAALAC accredited organisation. It provides in vitro and in vivo testing of drug candidates with antitumor and immunostimulatory activities in the oncology field.
Dr Jens Hoffman, CEO of EPO said: ‘As the founders and main shareholders, Dr Iduna Fichner, Professor Wolfgang Walther, CSO, and I have carefully analysed Citoxlab’s interest in our company, with our long-term development in mind. As one of the top five non-clinical CROs worldwide, Citoxlab has established long-lasting business relationships with hundreds of customers. In addition, as a science-driven CRO, Citoxlab has developed specialities in disciplines such as immunohistochemistry, cell cytometry and genomics, which are key in our area of research. We believe that these scientific synergies, combined with Citoxlab’s strong business development dynamics, will benefit both us and our clients. I must add that the respect for the culture and management in their previous acquisitions shown by Citoxlab was important in choosing this strategic partnership, where Citoxlab will own 49 per cent of EPO.’
