Merritt Healthcare Advisors (“MHA”) is pleased to announce the partnership between Elite Clinical Network (“ECN”) headquartered in Las Vegas, NV, and Surge Private Equity (“SurgePE”) based in Dallas, TX. Founded in 2003, ECN is a leading network of clinical research sites with 14 locations throughout California, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona. ECN conducts clinical trials (phase I-IV) across several therapeutic areas, including vaccines, infectious disease, women’s health, medical devices, pulmonology, and dermatology, among others. ECN has partnered with SurgePE to leverage the private equity firm’s operational expertise and experience scaling businesses to industry platforms. Cozen O’Connor served as legal counsel to ECN with BakerHostetler advising SurgePE.
Summing up the outcome of the transaction, David Wilson III, the CEO of ECN, said, “I am excited for Elite Clinical Network’s next chapter of growth & development through our new partnership with Surge Private Equity. Working together, we will be able to increase the access of clinical trials to healthcare providers & subjects by developing new sites more rapidly and partnering with principal investigators in more therapeutic areas. Merritt Healthcare Advisors provided my team with support & guidance at every step of the transaction process. We would have not completed this partnership without Merritt’s services.”
“Merritt is pleased to announce this partnership between Elite Clinical Network and Surge Private Equity. David Wilson III has built not only a spectacular business, but one that is well-positioned for nationwide growth & expansion for many years to come through its new partnership with Surge Private Equity,” said John Carron, Partner at Merritt Healthcare Advisors.
Sanjay Gulati, Principal at SurgePE, said, “We are impressed with the success that management has achieved to date and are excited to partner with CEO David Wilson III to support the next phase of building a national network. With a very high new site launch growth rate, multi-decade customer relationships, strong industry tailwinds, and a significant diversified backlog, ECN is well-positioned to continue its expansion as a dominant player in the clinical trial industry.”
About Elite Clinical Network
Elite Clinical Network , founded in 2003, is an integrated network of clinical research sites with 14 locations throughout the southwestern United States, with several more in development. Led by David Wilson III, ECN utilizes the most advanced industry knowledge, practices, and technologies to move clinical trials efficiently from mandate to completion and provide high-quality research data to pharmaceutical & medical device companies. The sites specialize in a variety of study types and therapeutic areas and have established relationships with a diverse array of sponsors. For additional information on Elite Clinical Network, please visit https://eliteclinicalnetwork.com/.
About Merritt Healthcare Advisors
Merritt Healthcare Advisors is the leading provider of merger and acquisition services for healthcare businesses, including surgery centers, physician practices, and ancillary service providers. As the only M&A advisory firm with active clinical operations, MHA has an unmatched perspective when it comes to obtaining optimal valuation for our clients. Having completed more than $5 billion in healthcare transactions across the United States since 2005, MHA helps clients realize the true value of their assets, source relationships of strategic value, and ultimately manage the process of achieving a successful transition. The Principals of MHA acted in their capacity as licensed investment banking agents of Burch & Company, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. For additional information on Merritt Healthcare Advisors, please visit https://merrittadvisory.com/.
About Surge Private Equity
Founded in 2017, Surge is a Dallas-based private equity firm that seeks majority investments in growing businesses with $3-$30MM of EBITDA. Together with its lending partners, Surge provides entrepreneurs with liquidity and investors with higher yields and greater accessibility. Surge primarily invests in companies where the seller will remain in an ongoing capacity. For additional information on Surge Private Equity, please visit https://surgepe.com/.