BayPine LP, a private investment firm that drives digital transformation in market-leading businesses, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CenExel Clinical Research(“CenExel” or the “Company”), a leading clinical trial site network focused on complex therapeutic areas. Following the closing of the transaction, BayPine will be the majority investor in CenExel alongside previous investor Webster Equity Partners (“Webster”), which will retain a minority stake, as well as Company management. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
CenExel operates a highly differentiated, strategic clinical trial site network with deep expertise in central nervous system research as well as other complex, high-need therapeutic areas. The Company supports critical components of clinical development, including protocol development, patient recruitment and retention, and clinical trial operations and data collection. With 18 locations geographically dispersed across major U.S. metro areas, CenExel is a trusted partner to leading biopharmaceutical sponsors, having delivered superior execution and site-level performance across more than 10,000 clinical trials and 100,000 patients since inception.
“CenExel is a pioneering business at the center of a rapidly evolving clinical research landscape,” said Tom O’Rourke, Partner at BayPine. “As pharmaceutical sponsors continue to move toward functional outsourcing clinical research models, scaled site networks with highly differentiated capabilities such as CenExel are becoming indispensable strategic partners within the clinical development ecosystem. We look forward to working closely with management and Webster to extend the Company’s industry leading position.”
“CenExel is an ideal fit for our digital transformation strategy, with significant opportunities to bolster its data infrastructure and leverage AI-enabled tools to improve patient recruitment and site performance,” said Michael Attal, Principal at BayPine. “By executing a range of growth initiatives, we believe CenExel is well positioned to build upon its status as the premier clinical site network and accelerate its evolution into a truly next-generation, digitally-enabled research platform.”
“We’ve built a differentiated and resilient enterprise by focusing on providing scientific expertise and high-quality trial execution, an unwavering commitment to innovation, and adhering to the highest standards of regulatory compliance,” said Ryan Brooks, Chief Executive Officer of CenExel. “We selected BayPine as our next long-term financial partner precisely for its thoughtful approach to scaling businesses, its unparalleled focus on leveraging cutting-edge digital tools to drive growth and efficiencies, and strong alignment of values. Through this transaction, I am confident CenExel will have even greater resources to expand our capabilities and enhance our value proposition to our customers. We thank Webster for being an invaluable partner for our business.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2025.
