Uniphar acquires Diligent Health Solutions in $27m deal

Uniphar announced the acquisition of the US-based Diligent Health Solutions on Wednesday, in a deal worth up to $27m (£21.21m).

The AIM-traded firm said the deal would be earnings accretive from completion, with upfront consideration of $10m to be paid upfront, and the deferred element linked to EBITDA performance over four years.

It described DHS as a US-based healthcare communications company, providing “enhanced” contact centre services focussed on the delivery of medical information to patients, healthcare practitioners and payors.

The acquisition would be “highly complementary” to Uniphar's footprint and present capabilities, the board said, and would “enhance” its mission to build connectivity between its clients and key healthcare stakeholders, using digital capabilities.

The combined business would create opportunities through the provision of communication technologies, across both the commercial and clinical and the product access divisions.

It said it would enhance the product access value proposition immediately, adding necessary capability to deliver exclusive access programmes in North America.

With the acquisition, Uniphar’s board said the company would “further enhance” its offering to life sciences clients as a single solutions provider across pre- and post-commercialisation.

DHS's workforce of more than 80 staff included a combination of healthcare practitioners and subject matter experts.

In addition to leveraging DHS’s existing workforce, the acquisition would accelerate Uniphar's access to a highly-trained industry workforce and high-tech communications infrastructure, which the directors said would enable it to support the implementation of more, and more complex, programmes for clients requiring complete global solutions.

DHS's workforce would continue to operate from its two locations in the US, being Philadelphia and Virginia.

“The acquisition is an important step in the group's strategy to building a market leading position in product access and commercial and clinical in addition to a highly relevant market presence in North America, the largest pharmaceutical market in the world and home to many of Uniphar's existing and target client base,” the board said in its statement.

At 1151 BST, shares in Uniphar were up 1.25% at 2.43p.