UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS – Gilde Healthcare Services has acquired a majority share in Viroclinics Biosciences (Viroclinics) a virology contract research organization, from Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC).

The partnership between Viroclinics and Gilde Healthcare will enable Viroclinics to benefit from the experience of a well-established financial investor in the healthcare industry. The transaction paved the way for an exit of Erasmus MC, the founding institute that was pivotal for the initial successful growth path of the company. Viroclinics intends to continue its long lasting collaboration with the Viroscience lab of Erasmus MC and co-develop new laboratory services in the field of virology.

“With Gilde Healthcare as new shareholder we have secured access to capital for the company’s mid- and long-term strategic goals”, says Bob van Gemen, CEO of Viroclinics. “This will enable us to expand our service offering while building on our current strengths. The new partnership with Gilde has neither implications for the management nor organizational structure of the company.”

Jasper van Gorp, Partner at Gilde Healthcare Services said: “We were impressed by Viroclinics’ high quality clinical laboratory services for the pharmaceutical industry. We believe there is a growing need for this type of service to aid in the development of drugs and vaccines to combat existing and future viruses.”

Background information Viroclinics

Viroclinics Biosciences BV is a virology contract research organization, serving the biopharmaceutical community as a pre-clinical and clinical reference laboratory for supporting the development of new chemical entities, vaccines and antiviral compounds targeting viral infectious diseases.

Viroclinics was founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the virology department at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It has since grown into a company exceeding 60 FTE of dedicated scientists and technical experts, and operates within a network of key opinion leaders as consultants. As of September 2012 the company migrated to a location with 3000 m2 office space and new laboratory facilities, accommodating BSL 2 and BSL 3. Additionally, a samples processing facility has been opened in Boston USA, at the start of 2013. The ongoing, intimate interaction between scientists at the Erasmus MC and company staff yields a strong, flourishing platform to act and implement assays at the forefront of viroscience.

Viroclinics operates at a global level, being the preferred virology testing laboratory for several of the top-10 Biopharmaceutical companies. Organizationally the company has matured to a stage that a QA department, a clinical service department, a pre-clinical service department, an assay development department and a clinical trial operation department all work in an ISO 15189 accredited quality management system, expanded with elements of GLP and GCP.

Background information Gilde Healthcare (www.gildehealthcare.com)

Specialist investment firm Gilde Healthcare has EUR 450 million under management in growth capital funds targeting both technological innovations and service providers in healthcare.

The investment in Viroclinics was made from the Gilde Healthcare Services I fund, the largest independent fund in The Netherlands dedicated to fast growing and innovative healthcare service companies. The Gilde Healthcare Services fund invests in primary care, specialized clinics, elderly care, laboratories, suppliers, outsourcing services and other healthcare service businesses.