UDG Healthcare purchases KnowledgePoint360’s medical comms business

UDG Healthcare has agreed a deal to purchase the healthcare communications business of KnowledgePoint360 by the end of this month.

The $144 million (86.12 million pounds) deal complements the existing global healthcare communications offering provided through UDG Healthcare's Ashfield division, helping to further establish the firm as a leader in this market.

It encompasses the entire medical comms business of KnowledgePoint360, which is headquartered in Macclesfield in the UK and in Lyndhurst, New Jersey in the US. It employs more than 600 staff across ten global locations.

UDG Healthcare believes the deal will enable further expansion in the US and Europe, while providing a solid platform for future growth elsewhere.

Liam FitzGerald, the company's chief executive, said: "KnowledgePoint360 is a significant strategic and complementary acquisition for UDG Healthcare, giving us a market-leading position in the global healthcare communications sector and significantly enhancing the Ashfield offering to our clients."

UDG Healthcare, formerly known as United Drug, rebranded to its current name last year. It has been acquiring a number of businesses during the last 18 months, including the takeover of comms agency Watermeadow Medical in 2012.