The IMA Group has announced its acquisition of Chicago Research Center (CRC), a move that expands the company’s clinical trial footprint and marks its entry into dedicated sleep research. The deal builds upon IMA’s network of research sites supporting Phase II–IV trials across a broad range of therapeutic areas, with Chicago Research Center recognized for its work in central nervous system (CNS), sleep, mood, memory, and pain disorders.
CRC, founded in 2005, operates an 8,000-square-foot facility northwest of downtown Chicago, equipped with a six-bed sleep laboratory and a database of over 50,000 patients. The site will continue to be led by President and CEO Stacy Malm, MS, LCPC, and retain its current staff and branding. Malm emphasized CRC’s commitment to expanding access to clinical trials for mental health and sleep conditions, noting that “joining IMA allows us to accelerate study timelines and improve access to treatments for patients in Chicago and beyond”.
The acquisition represents IMA’s first site specializing in sleep disorder research, an area of growing concern. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than a third of U.S. adults sleep less than the recommended seven hours per night, with as many as 70 million Americans affected by sleep disorders. As clinical trial sponsors seek to address conditions such as sleep apnea and insomnia, IMA aims to leverage CRC’s expertise to meet rising demand.
This integration follows IMA’s ongoing strategy of expanding its CNS clinical trial capabilities, with Chicago Research Center joining other acquired locations in major markets such as New York City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque. IMA Clinical Research maintains a network of more than 150 sites, supporting decentralized, hybrid, and traditional models for trials in areas including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease.
IMA is backed by Centre Partners, a private equity firm focused on healthcare and consumer services.