ICON Acquires DOCS International, Expanding Its Contract Staffing Footprint into Europe

ICON (NASDAQ: ICLR), a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced the acquisition of DOCS International, a leading European based clinical research staffing organisation, for a cash consideration of approximately $40 million. DOCS International, which operates in eight European countries, focuses on the training and supply of contract and permanent clinical research personnel to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. "The acquisition of DOCS International gives ICON a significant presence in the European clinical research staffing market and creates a strong platform which we can leverage for future expansion. Their experienced management team will bring a wealth of experience in the European market to ICON" commented ICON CEO Peter Gray. DOCS International will be integrated with ICON’s existing US based staffing business, ICON Contracting Solutions, to form a global business unit. "This will enable ICON to meet the requirements of sponsors for more flexibility when they run clinical projects internally, and give them access to a global pool of talent through one vendor” added Sean Leech, newly appointed President of the expanded ICON Contracting Solutions business unit. Pim van de Riet, CEO of DOCS International added "We are delighted to be joining forces with ICON. Our combined knowledge and commitment to the clinical research staffing market will allow us to continue to attract, assess and place talented individuals and teams at all levels of experience on a global basis”. About ICON plc ICON plc is a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The Company specializes in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. ICON teams have successfully conducted over 1,900 development projects and over 2,300 consultancy engagements across all major therapeutic areas. ICON currently has approximately 4,800 employees, operating from 53 locations in 31 countries. About DOCS International Founded in 1997, DOCS International is devoted to providing Staffing Solutions to the Healthcare Industry. These solutions are designed to meet the requirements of both corporate healthcare organisations and individual healthcare professionals.