Gilde Healthcare portfolio company Synexa Life Sciences BV, a global leader in specialist biomarker and bioanalysis research services, has today announced that it has acquired Syrinx Bioanalytics, a bioanalytical CRO based in Turku, Finland.

The move is part of Synexa’s ongoing ‘buy and build’ growth strategy, aimed at building the global market leader in specialist biomarker and bioanalytical services. The two companies’ service offerings are very complementary, allowing the combined group to offer clients a broader range of services, deeper scientific expertise, a wider set of analytical platforms, greater capacity and an expanded geographical footprint. Syrinx is particularly strong in PK/Immunogenicity bioanalysis, while Synexa’s core strengths lie in its broad portfolio of specialist biomarker and bioanalytical assays, spanning DNA, RNA, protein, cell and tissue capabilities.

The combined group offers deep expertise in biomarker and bioanalytical strategy, assay development & validation and clinical execution across all phases to provide valuable insights on new drug performance to clients in the pharma, biotech and biosimilar sectors. The Finnish lab further extends Synexa’s global lab network, adding to existing labs in Berlin, London, Cape Town and the company’s newly established facility in Rockville, Maryland. Both companies operate to the highest scientific, quality, regulatory and client service standards – adding to Synexa’s network wide GCLP accreditation, the Syrinx lab brings GLP, GCP and GMP accreditation and certified radiopharmaceutical laboratory status.

Paul O’Riordan, Chairman of Synexa Life Sciences, commented:
‘We are delighted to welcome the Syrinx team to the Synexa group and are excited by the opportunities this will bring for our staff and other stakeholders. In particular, we expect the expansion of our scientific capabilities and capacity to have a very positive impact for our biopharma clients, many of whom are developing advanced therapies in the areas such as immunology, immuno-oncology, infectious diseases and targeted radiobiologicals.’

Emile Lens, Synexa’s CEO said:
‘Synexa is growing rapidly and has almost doubled in size over the last two years. Today is a significant milestone as we continue to deliver on our buy and build strategy with the aim of building the global leader in specialist biomarker and bioanalytical services. I am excited to welcome the Syrinx leaders and co-founders, Dr Sari Liitti and Dr Timo Piironen, to our leadership group and look forward to working with them to integrate our organisations smoothly over the coming months.’

Dr Sari Liitti, CEO of Syrinx Bioanalytics, commented:
‘Synexa and Syrinx are very similar companies in philosophy: they both have laboratory services based on strong scientific expertise and close relationships with customers. The companies complement each other very well, with virtually no overlapping functions. Syrinx’s services can now be offered to a larger customer base through Synexa; and reciprocally, we are able to offer Synexa’s services to our existing customers. New opportunities will open up for the personnel in the international environment, and we expect that operations in Turku will grow significantly in the next few years.’

Tom Klein Robbenhaar, partner Gilde Healthcare said:
‘It is wonderful to see two scientifically leading and client focused teams coming together in such a smooth process. We are excited to partner with the Syrinx team, invest in the Turku operations and serve clients with more tailored solutions. This is a great acquisition for Synexa and we look forward to team up with more leading bioanalytical service providers.’

About Synexa Life Sciences
For nearly 20 years Synexa Life Sciences has supported leading biopharma clients across the globe to achieve their clinical milestones through the application of cutting-edge biomarker science. Synexa specialises in the development, validation and delivery of a wide range of complex and custom-designed assays, founded on deep expertise in immunology and the impact of the immune system on human health and candidate drug performance. Synexa is backed by Gilde Healthcare, a leading European healthcare investor managing funds of over €1.9 billion.

About Syrinx Bioanalytics
Founded in 2007, Syrinx Bioanalytics is a bioanalytical service provider and CRO based in Turku, Finland specialising in high-quality bioanalysis for biopharma drug development programs. Syrinx develops and validates methods and analyses biological samples for the determination of biomarkers and anti-drug antibodies in compliance with health authority requirements.

About Gilde Healthcare
Gilde Healthcare is a specialized healthcare investor managing over €1.9 billion ($ 2.0 billion) across two fund strategies: Venture&Growth and Private Equity. The firm is headquartered in Utrecht (The Netherlands) with local offices in Frankfurt (Germany) and Cambridge (United States). Gilde Healthcare Private Equity participates in profitable lower mid-market healthcare companies based in North-Western Europe. The Private Equity fund targets healthcare providers, suppliers of medical products and service providers in the healthcare market. Gilde Healthcare Venture&Growth invests in therapeutics, medtech and healthtech in Europe and North America. Further information at www.gildehealthcare.com

Media contacts Gilde Healthcare:
Tom Klein Robbenhaar – robbenhaar@gildehealthcare.com