JSS Medical Research Inc. and Integrated Research Inc. in Montréal, Québec, Canada completes the strategic merger of the two companies to become the largest Canadian owned CRO

MONTREAL, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - JSS Medical Research Inc. (JSS), a full-service international Contract Research Organization (CRO), announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Integrated Research Inc. (IRI), a Canadian CRO located in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec. The transaction results in the strategic merger of the two companies with IRI continuing to operate as a fully-owned subsidiary of JSS.

IRI was founded over two decades ago by Joanne E. Watson M.Sc. and it provides clinical research support to pharmaceutical, device, and biotechnology companies. The company's core service offering includes study start-up, project management, site management, data management, and monitoring covering a wide range of therapeutic areas. With clinical operations as its foundation, and owing to its in-depth knowledge and understanding of regulatory matters, and extensive network of experienced clinical researchers, IRI has become a leading Canadian CRO with an impeccable reputation for providing the highest quality of comprehensive and flexible study management.

JSS Medical Research was also founded approximately twenty years ago by Dr. John S. Sampalis a Clinical Epidemiologist from McGill University. Clinical Research, Medical Science, Epidemiology and Biostatistics were the cornerstones of the foundation of JSS. Clinical Operations were incorporated on the scientific foundation and hence the company evolved as a fully integrated CRO offering services that include strategic consulting, study conceptualization, study design, protocol development, execution, project management, site management, monitoring, data management, biostatistical consulting and analysis, and medical writing. The company has earned an international reputation as one of the leading scientific CROs with significant expertise in pre- and post-approval epidemiological studies.

"This is an important milestone for JSS and IRI as well as for the Canadian Industry. The merger of JSS and IRI creates a robust and stable Canadian based and owned CRO that has the critical mass, expertise and most importantly, experienced senior management that will offer highest quality services covering all of the scientific and operational aspects of clinical research. Now a local CRO will be able to provide the same services as the large multinationals, while maintaining the intimate client relationships that have contributed to our longevity and client loyalty over the last twenty years" stated Dr. John S. Sampalis, CEO and President of JSS Medical Research.

"For our international and global clients, the merger with IRI, in combination with the recent acquisition of Latam Clinical Trials, provides significant advantages. We now have augmented our operational and regulatory expertise across several jurisdictions and expanded the clinical research team to allow us to easily manage our local and international studies. In addition, our clients will benefit from our Quality Assurance Program which has been audited and tested by several of our global clients" said Ms. Stella Boukas, V.P. Clinical Operations of JSS.

"From a financial perspective, the synergies of JSS and IRI will provide our clients with a stronger CRO that can address all of their service needs with conservative costs. In the current CRO market where costs are an important second consideration for the selection of service providers, JSS-IRI will offer competitive pricing at uncompromised quality. At the same time the merger of the two companies will reduce overhead and other costs and will contribute to our continued financial stability and growth" stated Dr. Toni Rinow, CFO of JSS.

"Widespread adoption of outsourcing has changed the clinical services landscape over the past five years with strategic relationships with the 10 large CROs dominating the market. Smaller CROs have to adapt their business strategies to meet the changing needs of sponsors. JSS Medical Research has pursued its journey in becoming a niche provider in late phase studies by excelling in scientific methods for conducting research. We have gained strategic advantage as market leader in Post Marketing Observational Studies, Health Economic Outcome Research and a proven track record in medical writing, publications and presentations at scientific conferences. The merger with IRI will strengthen our position in Canada and provide the foundation for our continued expansion while at the same time enabling us to continue to deliver high quality research to our Canadian and international clients" said Dr. Sanjay Machado, Executive Director Global Business Operations of JSS.

"In an industry that is both dynamic and volatile, our growth strategy is driven by the demands and the needs of our clients. More specifically, our expansion in Latin America, which began with the acquisition of Latam and will continue with others in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, has resulted from the increasing requirements for epidemiological and post marketing studies by regional health authorities and payers in these regions. The merger with IRI has also been driven by the need for a Canadian CRO that can provide comprehensive high quality turnkey services to the Canadian Affiliates of International Pharmaceuticals and Canadian biotech companies. Integrated Research's philosophy with emphasis on high quality clinical operations governed by integrity and responsiveness to their clients was entirely compatible with the JSS Medical Research's vision" concluded Dr. Sampalis.

"The pace of growth at JSS Medical Research sees us joining a company at a very exciting time and being part of this group will enable us to better leverage our expertise, offering our local and international clients access to additional complementary services provided by senior personnel with the highest possible level of scientific expertise and knowledge in clinical trial operations," said Joanne Watson, founder and CEO of Integrated Research. "Both companies' business ethic is focused on a commitment to excellence and quality and this philosophy is only further reinforced by the combination of the two organizations."

About JSS Medical Research

JSS Medical Research is a full-service CRO with its corporate office in Montreal, Canada and a regional office in Colombia. The company offers clinical trial management services in Phase I-IV trials in a broad range of therapeutic areas and is a leader in Post-Approval Clinical Epidemiology Studies (PACES) including Post-Marketing Observational Studies, Health Outcomes Research and Health Economics. Personalized services with one-on-one client attention from experienced senior scientific and clinical teams have established JSS Medical Research as a unique niche CRO worldwide. Currently JSS Medical Research is conducting research studies in over 20 countries around the world for its clients which include the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies.

www.jssresearch.com.

About Integrated Research Inc.

Integrated Research Inc. is a Canadian contract research organization providing clinical research management services and expert assistance to pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms worldwide in the development of their therapeutic agents.  Headquartered in Montreal, its highly skilled team offers a complete range of services and guidance in Phase II, III, and IV studies, post-marketing surveillance programs, and Investigator-driven research initiatives. For over 21 years, IRI has prided itself on meeting the challenges of research by providing innovative solutions along with the flexibility and professionalism you expect when outsourcing your clinical research needs.

SOURCE JSS Medical Research Inc.