LabCorp, a leading global life sciences company, and Chiltern, a specialty CRO, announced that LabCorp will acquire Chiltern pursuant to a definitive agreement with Chiltern’s shareholders in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.2 billion. Once the transaction is complete, Chiltern will become part of LabCorp’s Covance segment.

“This acquisition strengthens our position as a leading life sciences company that delivers innovative diagnostics and drug development solutions to improve health and improve lives,” said David P. King, chairman and CEO of LabCorp in a press release. “Our acquisition of Covance has demonstrated the value of combining diagnostic and CRO capabilities, expertise, data and leadership. The addition of Chiltern furthers our strategy and will provide us with enhanced capabilities across a broader client base as we continue to innovate and grow.”

Chiltern has a 35-year track record of growth as a provider of clinical services and solutions in multiple key therapeutic areas, with engagement models for biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. It has more than 4,500 employees around the world, including Asia-Pacific, and has conducted more than 1,800 studies across 87 countries in the last five years. Chiltern is a leading CRO among emerging-to-mid biopharma customers, with forecasted 2017 revenue and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $550 million and $95 million, respectively, and backlog of approximately $1.0 billion.

“Joining LabCorp and Covance will allow Chiltern to expand its collaborative approach to bring better, more personalized therapies to market for patients every day,” said Jim Esinhart, Ph.D., CEO of Chiltern. “Customers will benefit from the expanded capabilities this provides and our employees will have a greater opportunity to propel research into the future with strong, supportive partners.”

“Since LabCorp acquired Covance, we have grown the CRO business to nearly $3 billion in annual revenue,” said John Ratliff, CEO of Covance. “We now join with Chiltern to create a market-leading CRO, with more than 20,000 talented employees around the world. The addition enhances Covance’s offerings as a major partner serving the top 20 biopharma segment and expands our current offering to include a dedicated focus on the high-growth emerging and mid-market biopharma segments. We are very pleased to welcome the Chiltern team to the LabCorp family as we work together to realize the promise of this unique and powerful combination.”