News

The merger brings together two of the top three contract sales organisations (CSOs) in the UK, offering the most comprehensive and flexible solutions in pharmaceutical outsourcing. Both companies are owned by United Drug plc, a leading provider of outsourced services to healthcare manufacturers in the UK and Ireland, with annual turnover of €1.9 billion. United Drug plc is quoted both on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges.

Responding to the rapidly changing pharmaceutical outsourcing market, the new company uses its immense resources to provide clients with highly-skilled, bespoke teams and innovative services that are results-focused. Ashfield In2Focus offerings include medical representative and nurse teams, and sales force effectiveness and business research and consulting services on both a national and global scale.

"This merger is fantastic news for the UK CSO market," said Liam Fitzgerald, CEO of United Drug plc. "With this merger, Ashfield In2Focus will be able to concentrate on what it knows best - providing the pharmaceutical marketplace with flexible, highly skilled and bespoke outsourced solutions."

As the number one CSO in the UK, Ashfield has a long history of serving the pharmaceutical industry. With a team of 750, the company has focused on providing sales and nurse advisory services along with comprehensive training and development programmes. As the third largest CSO in the UK, In2Focus provides sales and nurse advisory services as well as several innovative support services including sales force effectiveness tools.

"This is a very exciting time for current and prospective clients, and the entire UK pharmaceutical market," said Chris Corbin, former managing director of Ashfield Healthcare and now head of the new Ashfield In2Focus.

Julian Tompkins, former partnership director of In2Focus and now Business Unit Director of Ashfield In2Focus, adds, "The Ashfield In2Focus offering is the strongest yet in the market, and we will significantly broaden our customer base by offering a state-of-the-art, flexible and innovative service, whilst continuing to focus firmly on quality and delivery."

Ashfield In2Focus will be headquartered in Ashfield's purpose-built head office in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. The state-of-the-art building includes a business centre with the capability to train over 200 delegates at any one time.

Ashfield In2Focus combines two leading organisations to provide the most comprehensive and flexible solutions in contract sales outsourcing for the healthcare industry. This new market-leading contract sales organisation provides high calibre medical representatives and nurse advisors with top quality support services to the pharmaceutical industry in order to optimise sales performance. Ashfield In2Focus is a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Drug plc.