SUMMIT CLINICAL RESEARCH ACQUIRES HOUSTON RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND DEEPENS LEADERSHIP TEAM TO ACCELERATE GROWTH AND ENHANCE SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE

NEW ORLEANS, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LongueVue Capital ("LVC") is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Summit Clinical Research ("Summit" or the "Company"), in partnership with Pinnacle Clinical Research ("Pinnacle"), has successfully completed a strategic investment in Houston Research Institute ("HRI") and strengthened its executive team with the appointment of Dr. Mazen Noureddin as Co-Chairman of Summit's Board of Directors and the additions of Dr. Naim Alkhouri (Chief Academic Officer), a Key Opinion Leader ("KOL") in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis ("MASH") and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease ("MASLD"),  and Brandon Early (President). 

On February 28, 2025, Summit, an integrated research organization specializing in complex clinical trials with a network of over 120 sites, partnered with HRI, a Houston-based clinical research site focused on MASH/MASLD, cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, and obesity. Founded in 2022 by leading metabolic KOLs Dr. Mazen Noureddin and the late Dr. Stephen Harrison, HRI enhances Summit's and Pinnacle's value proposition of pairing deep scientific expertise with superior clinical trial execution in complex therapeutic areas. 

"Having worked alongside the Summit and LVC teams for years, I fully appreciate firsthand their dedication to clinical excellence and innovation, making this an exciting next step in our shared mission to advance clinical research," said Dr. Mazen Noureddin, Founder of HRI. "I am excited to assume the role of both Co-Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer at Summit to strengthen the Company's leadership in metabolic research and advance new treatment options for patients."

"We are pleased to expand our partnership with Dr. Noureddin, and I want to congratulate him on his appointment as Co-Chairman of Summit's Board of Directors," said Ryan Nagim, Managing Partner and Head of Healthcare at LVC and Co-Chairman of Summit. "Dr. Noureddin's KOL expertise will be instrumental in expanding the scientific and clinical capabilities of Summit and Pinnacle as well as enhancing the ability of both companies to drive innovation in drug development."

In addition to the partnership with HRI, Summit added two key executives: Dr. Naim Alkhouri (Chief Academic Officer) and Brandon Early (President).

As Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Naim Alkhouri will further Summit's position as a scientific leader in the metabolic space, succeeding Dr. Sophie Jeannin. Dr. Alkhouri is a leading KOL in hepatology and brings deep expertise in liver disease research through his role as Medical Director of the Clinical Research Institute of Ohio, as well as prior leadership roles as Chief Medical Officer, Chief of Transplant Hepatology, and Director of the Steatotic Liver Program at Arizona Liver Health.

"I'm honored to join Summit and build on its strong legacy of scientific excellence in clinical research," said Dr. Alkhouri. "I look forward to not only strengthening our sponsor and site relationships but also advancing Summit's leadership in liver disease and other complex therapeutic areas alongside Dr. Noureddin and our broader network of KOLs."

As President, Mr. Early will drive excellence through Summit's existing service model while strategically expanding service lines and therapeutic reach to add value for Summit's sponsors and site partners. Mr. Early brings over 20 years of leadership experience in pharmaceutical services, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Global Project Delivery at ICON, where he led strategy for full-service operational models in outsourced clinical trials.

"Pairing Summit's reputation as the scientific thought leader and premier executor of complex clinical trials with Brandon's strategic leadership and experience in clinical trial operations will propel the Company into its next phase of growth," said Gail Hinkson, CEO and Co-Founder of Summit. "The Summit team is excited to welcome Brandon as he expands our service offerings and therapeutic area focus while maintaining our uncompromising standards of quality and best-in-class service for sponsors and affiliate sites."

Managing Partner Ryan Nagim executed the HRI transaction with Principal Austin Rees, Director Kent McCarty, Vice President Erin Saer, and Associates Rankin Hobbs and Hutton Johnston.

To learn more about Summit, Pinnacle, and HRI, please visit:

• www.summitclinicalresearch.com
• www.pinnacleresearch.com
• www.houstonresearchinstitute.com

ABOUT LONGUEVUE CAPITAL

Founded in 2001, LongueVue Capital is a New Orleans-based equity investment firm focused on providing transformational growth capital to middle-market companies, drawing upon its successful 20+ year track record of partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to drive value creation. With over $1 billion of committed capital spanning five funds coupled with 150+ years of combined operating and investing experience, LVC is an ideal partner for middle-market companies at inflection points seeking to maximize value for all stakeholders.

ABOUT SUMMIT CLINICAL RESEARCH

Founded in 2018 and based in San Antonio, TX, Summit is an integrated research organization specializing in complex indications. Summit manages a growing network of 120+ clinical trial sites worldwide seeking to improve enrollment, quality, and outcomes in complex clinical trials. Summit is the go-to partner for many pharma and biotech sponsors for complex indications including hepatology, MASH, and obesity research given its ability to supply sites that drive superior enrollment, quality, and compliance metrics.

ABOUT PINNACLE CLINICAL RESEARCH

Pinnacle is a leading site management organization with 15 sites across the U.S., focused on executing complex clinical trials within metabolic and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Pinnacle leverages its therapeutic expertise to drive best-in-class clinical trial outcomes. Led by a renowned physician team, Pinnacle focuses on pioneering treatments for complex diseases and serving underserved populations. Pinnacle provides sponsors with a scaled network that ensures deep therapeutic area expertise and superior clinical execution.

For more information, please visit www.lvcpartners.com. 

SOURCE LongueVue Capital