P95 BV and Ampersand Capital Partners join forces to establish first in class vaccine CRO

LEUVEN, Belgium, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- P95 BV, a global provider of epidemiology and clinical research solutions with a focus on vaccines and infectious diseases, today announced a majority recapitalization by Ampersand Capital Partners, a private equity firm specializing in growth equity investments in the life science and healthcare sectors. Ampersand's investment will support the growth of P95's core business and fund the expansion of its CRO services supporting the vaccine and infectious disease end-markets. As part of the transaction, P95 also announced the appointment of Benoit Bouche as Chairman of the company's Board of Directors. Dr. Bouche has spent his entire career in the pharmaceutical outsourcing industry as an entrepreneur, advisor, and investor. Benoit previously served as President and CEO of Nexelis, a former Ampersand portfolio company.

P95 was founded in 2011 by CEO Thomas Verstraeten and is a leader in sourcing, analyzing and reporting epidemiological data to assist public health agencies, research organizations and pharmaceutical companies in improving access to safe and effective vaccines. The company's services include late stage observational and clinical studies, pharmacovigilance, literature reviews, and related consulting work. The Company's unique capabilities in primary study development, presence in key infectious disease geographies, and leadership of the EMA-endorsed COVIDRIVE project have established P95 at the forefront of observational research in vaccine and infectious disease therapeutic development. Dr. Verstraeten and the current P95 management team will continue their current executive leadership roles and remain shareholders of P95 alongside Ampersand.

Thomas Verstraeten, CEO and Founder of P95, stated, "P95 is excited to have the support of Ampersand as we pursue our vision to be the world's favorite global research partner in support of vaccine and infectious disease therapeutic development and use. We believe Ampersand's resources and expertise will enable our team to accelerate growth while expanding the scope and depth of clinical support services we provide to vaccine stakeholders across the globe. This will help fulfill our purpose to bring better health for everybody, everywhere."

Benoit Bouche, incoming Chairman of P95, commented "P95's unique and recognized expertise has enabled the business to build a strong position in the pharma services ecosystem. As observational studies play an increasingly critical role in vaccine development, Thomas and his team have established P95 as a leader in this field. Together, we see substantial opportunity for development of the core epidemiology offering and expansion into complementary CRO offerings for vaccine and infectious disease clients."

Eric Lev, General Partner at Ampersand and who together with colleague Hidde Van Kerckhoven will also be joining the P95 Board, added, "P95 is another great fit in Ampersand's strategy of supporting pharma services companies with leadership positions based on differentiated scientific expertise. We believe P95 is poised for continued growth due to its unique service offering, global footprint, and broad customer base spanning the entire vaccine ecosystem. We look forward to partnering with Tom and his team."

About P95 BV

Founded in 2011, P95 is a global company headquartered in Leuven (Belgium) and with local and regional offices located in Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Bogota (Colombia) and Bangkok (Thailand). P95 delivers cutting-edge expertise in epidemiology and pharmacovigilance. The P95 team is comprised of epidemiologists, pharmacovigilance specialists, biostatisticians, data scientists, medical writers, IT engineers and study managers, located in over 17 countries. P95 projects are largely focused on a broad range of infectious diseases and vaccines, and the company also offers customized services upon request. Additional information about P95 is available at www.p-95.com

About Ampersand Capital Partners

Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with than $3 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit www.ampersandcapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Ampersand Capital Partners