WIL Research Acquires Ricerca’s Pharma Service Business in Lyon, France

The CRO WIL Research has acquired Ricerca Biosciences’ pharmaceutical services business located in Lyon, France. The addition of the 18,000-m² facility strengthens WIL Research’s service offerings in Europe, adds to its nonclinical safety assessment capability, and expands its portfolio of specialty services. The acquisition doubles WIL’s capacity in Europe, according to a WIL press release.

Renamed WIL Research Europe–Lyon, the laboratory will retain its approximately 280 employees. Long-time Managing Director of the facility, Stéphane Bulle, will continue to lead the site and keep his current senior leadership team intact, according to the WIL statement.

The Lyon facility provides safety pharmacology and specialized services, including continuous infusion and developmental and reproductive toxicology. WIL Research now has approximately 1200 staff worldwide and 63,000 m² of laboratory space in the US, The Netherlands, and now Lyon, France. It also maintains commercial representation in Asia.

For Ricerca, the divestiture provides further funding for its Ohio operations. “This divestiture will fund significant capital investment into our Concord, Ohio business allowing us to expand and re-invigorate our integrated drug development services in chemical development, drug substance production, and drug safety and metabolism,” commented Michael Placke, president of Ricerca Biosciences, in the WIL statement.