ICON plc is an Irish headquartered Nasdaq listed multinational healthcare intelligence and clinical research organisation that provides consulting, clinical development and commercialisation services for the pharmaceutical industry.[2] As of June 2023[update], ICON had approximately 41,160 employees in 108 locations spread across 53 countries.[1]
ICON was founded in Dublin, Ireland, by John Climax and Ronan Lambe in 1990.[3] Since January 2010, Climax has held a position on the board of directors. Lambe retired from the board of directors in 2018.[4]
Between 1991 and 1996, ICON opened offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and Japan.[5] Two years later, ICON shares started to be traded on Nasdaq.[6]
In 2013, PRA Health Sciences was acquired by KKR, which listed the company on the Nasdaq in November 2014 and maintained shares until September 2019.[7] In August 2017, the company acquired Conshohocken-based real-world healthcare data, analytics, and technology solutions company Symphony Health for US$530 million.[8] PRA's 2018 revenue was US$2.87 billion.[9] PRA was acquired by ICON on 1 July 2021.[10]
In March 2017, Steve Cutler was appointed Chief Executive Officer of ICON.[11] He had previously been with Quintiles South Africa, Sandoz AG, and Kendle Intl Inc, before joining ICON Clinical Research Services in 2011, and becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2014.[12]
In 2018, ICON won PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year.[13] ICON enjoyed success in multiple categories at the Clinical Research Organisation leadership awards,[14] consecutively from 2018 - 2023, determined by Life Science Leader magazine and Industry Standard Research (ISR). In 2021, ICON was awarded PharmaTimes Clinical Research Company of the Year,[15] and in 2022, won Best Contract Research Organisation (FSP) [16] at the Scrip Awards.
2000: ICON acquired UK-based regulatory consultancy, YRCR Ltd.; Central Laboratory in New York; and bioanalytical consultancy, Pacific Research[17][18][19]
2002: ICON acquired clinical research provider, BPA.[20]
2003: ICON acquired Medeval, a UK-based Phase I facility, and US consulting firm, Globomax [21][22]
2004: ICON acquired medical imaging specialist, Beacon Bioscience Inc.[23]
2006: ICON acquired outcomes research and health economics specialist, Ovation Research Group[24]
2007: ICON acquired European staffing group, DOCS International[25]
2008: ICON acquired US phase I provider, Healthcare Discoveries and US bioanalytical lab, Prevalere Life Sciences[26][27]
2009: ICON acquired Veeda Laboratories, a UK biomarker lab[28]
2010: ICON acquired Timaq Medical Imaging Inc.[29]
2011: ICON acquired Oxford Outcomes, an international health outcomes consultancy and Firecrest Clinical, a technology provider specialising in site performance and study management[30][31]
2012: ICON acquired PriceSpective, a global value strategy consultancy and Chinese CRO, BeijingWits[32][33]
2013: ICON acquired staffing and FSP providers, ClinForce and Assent and Akos, an EU provider of pharmacovigilance and drug safety services[34][35]
2014: ICON acquired Aptiv Solutions, a market leader in adaptive trial design and execution[36]
2015: ICON acquired MediMedia Pharma Solutions to enhance market access and scientific communications capabilities, and PMG Research Inc., an integrated network of clinical research sites in the US[37][38]
2016: ICON acquired Clinical Research Management Inc., to extend its presence in the government-sponsored research market[39]
2017: ICON acquired MAPI Group, thereby becoming the world’s second-largest provider of late-phase services[40]
2019: ICON acquired Symphony Clinical Research, a leading provider of at-home patient services and site-support services; MediNova, an integrated network of clinical research sites across EMEA; and MolecularMD, to enhance its laboratory offerings in molecular diagnostic testing and immunohistochemistry[41][42][43]
2020: ICON acquired MedPass International, a leading European medical device CRO, regulatory and reimbursement consultancy[44]
2021: ICON acquired PRA Health Sciences, a competitor offering clinical research services, for USD 12 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, PRA shareholders will own approximately 34 percent of the shares of the combined company and ICON shareholders will own approximately 66 percent.[45][46]
