IMA to buy Accelemed Research Institute for capacity and knowhow

The IMA Group has acquired Texas’ Accelemed Research Institute – a clinical research site - continuing its long run of takeovers in the services space.

The acquisition – financial terms of which were not disclosed – will see Accelemed’s site in Austin, Texas become IMA’s second in the state. After the acquisition closes IMA will have a 17-strong network of clinical research facilities across the US.

CEO Mark Weinberger said the deal will expand the firm’s ability to recruit people for drug research, explaining “We continually look for ways to ensure clinical trials are accessible and meaningful to the people who will most benefit from promising therapies and medications.

The IMA chief also cited Accelemed’s capabilities in trials focused on cardiometabolic and GI diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes as a benefit.

“Accelemed’s focus on chronic, debilitating diseases and patient diversity complement the core capabilities of IMA’s therapeutic offerings and our commitment to expanded patient access.”

Accelemed’s CEO, Anvi Ta – who will join IMA as senior regional director of operations – was also positive about the deal.

“Becoming part of IMA Clinical Research provides the centralized infrastructure that will enable us to continue that mission by expanding our focus on patient care across more areas and to more patients” Ta said.

Growth through acquisitions

The acquisition is the eighth by IMA Group's clinical research division since 2018. Previous takeovers include Amici Clinical Research, a clinical trials company with two New Jersey sites in Raritan and Hoboken, which it bought in March last year.

More recently, IMA bought research services firm Clinical Trials of America (CTA) to further expand its reach in the US.

The deal added four independent and six embedded locations in Louisiana and North Carolina to IMA’s site network.

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