Celerion,
a privately owned contract research organization (CRO), has completed
the acquisition of the development and regulatory services consultancy
and early stage development operations of MDS Pharma Services. The
acquired assets include five clinical research facilities and two
bioanalytical laboratories located in Lincoln, Nebraska; Neptune, New
Jersey; Phoenix, Arizona; Zurich, Switzerland; and Belfast, Northern
Ireland, as well as operations in Richmond, Virginia and Quebec, Canada.
With over 700 beds worldwide, Celerion is an industry leader in the
conduct of early clinical research, including first-in-man to
proof-of-concept clinical studies, clinical pharmacology, bioequivalence
trials, bioanalysis, and cardiac safety services.
“Its combination of experienced people, scientific excellence, and
state-of-the-art facilities constitutes a strong foundation for future
growth. We look forward to continuing to provide our pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and generic clients with leading early stage
clinical research services. Like the company I am leading, my roots are
in MDS Pharma Services.”
Celerion is derived from the Latin celeritas meaning swiftness
and speed. This word reflects one of Celerion's founding principles: to
deliver services that enable clients to get their products to market
faster. It also underlies another key goal of the business: to assist
clients in reaching informed go/no-go decisions on compounds in
development as early as possible.
Life sciences and CRO industry veteran Susan Thornton, Ph.D., is Chief
Executive Officer of Celerion. "I'm energized by the prospect of taking
this great business to the next level of market leadership," she said.
"Its combination of experienced people, scientific excellence, and
state-of-the-art facilities constitutes a strong foundation for future
growth. We look forward to continuing to provide our pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and generic clients with leading early stage
clinical research services. Like the company I am leading, my roots are
in MDS Pharma Services."
Before her appointment as CEO of Celerion, Dr. Thornton was CEO and
Managing Partner for BioVerum Partners, a healthcare advisory services
firm that assists clients in maximizing the value of their life sciences
businesses. In addition to over a decade of CRO industry experience, she
has held various drug development roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Merck.
Dr. Thornton earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of
Pennsylvania and a M.S. in microbiology and B.S. in psychology from
Pennsylvania State University. Her appointment sets the precedent for
the new leadership team at Celerion - individuals with extensive
industry experience and knowledge, strongly positioning the company to
address a broad range of drug development challenges.
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