Partners Group, a global private markets investment manager, has agreed to acquire global pharmaceutical services provider PCI Pharma Services (PCI) on behalf of its clients. The company is being sold by Frazier Healthcare Partners (Frazier), which acquired PCI in 2012. Frazier will retain a minority investment in the company. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
PCI, headquartered in Philadelphia, in the United States, offers its clients outsourced services across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain, including drug development and manufacturing, clinical trials and packaging services. The company has a diverse customer base of more than 350 companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, animal health, and consumer care spaces, including the world's leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. PCI employs more than 2,800 people across the U.S. and Europe, and generated sales of over US$475 million in 2015.
Following the acquisition, Partners Group plans to work with PCI's management team, led by CEO Bill Mitchell, to add more specialized offerings to the product range and expand the company both organically and through add-on acquisitions.
Bill Mitchell, CEO of PCI, comments: "We are very pleased to welcome Partners Group as our new business partner, following a successful period of growth under the previous ownership. Partners Group shares our commitment to providing the industry's leading customer experience. I believe our combined business networks and sector experience provide the ideal platform to support PCI's continued growth."
Remy Hauser, Managing Director, Industry Value Creation, Partners Group, adds: "The healthcare sector continues to see a migration towards outsourced core services, such as packaging and manufacturing, by major pharmaceutical brands in order to streamline costs. PCI's commitment to quality, service and technical innovation have secured it a loyal customer base and positioned it well to capitalize on this long-term trend."
Nathan Every, M.D., General Partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners, says: "We are excited to continue our partnership with PCI and its industry-leading management team, and welcome Partners Group to lead the next phase of growth for the company."
Joel Schwartz, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Americas at Partners Group, states: "We look forward to working alongside Bill Mitchell and the rest of PCI's impressive management team in the coming years. Given the supportive market environment and PCI's longstanding role as a trusted partner to leading players across the global healthcare industry, our view is that the company has all the ingredients in place to achieve further solid growth. We are excited to be able to play an important role in PCI's continued success."
White & Case LLP, Ropes & Grey LLP, and KPMG LLP are advising Partners Group and Jefferies has provided a commitment for the debt financing. RBC Capital Markets, LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to PCI, and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel. Alvarez & Marsal is advising PCI and Frazier Healthcare Partners.