Linden Capital Partners (Linden) and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers’) are pleased to announce they are partnering on a transformative platform, led by Dr. John Potthoff, with the goal of revolutionizing the clinical research ecosystem. This strategic initiative is centered around investing in exceptional companies and deploying cutting-edge technology to foster seamless connections and collaborations among patients, research sites, pharmaceutical companies, and the broader clinical research community.
The platform will be led by Dr. John Potthoff, who is currently the Chairperson of Elligo Health Research. He has more than 30 years of leadership and operational experience in the life sciences and pharmaceutical services sectors. Dr. Potthoff has successfully scaled and grown businesses as a founder, entrepreneur, and CEO.
“We believe our collaboration is a potential game-changer for clinical research. We see a significant gap in the industry and believe this strategic alliance will drive meaningful change and opportunity,” said Dr. Potthoff. “By integrating leading companies and leveraging advanced technologies, we aim to create a cohesive and interconnected clinical research environment. Recognizing the unique needs of each therapeutic and scientific area, we aim to streamline processes, enhance efficiencies, and foster collaborations that benefit all stakeholders, especially patients.”
The initiative will be chaired by Ms. Margaret Keegan, an industry luminary with prior executive roles across all functions of clinical development at large pharmaceutical and CRO companies, including PPD, IQVIA and PRA Health Sciences. Ms. Keegan is the former Chair of the Board for CDISC (Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium), the clinical research data standards organization and currently serves as CEO of RQM+. "I am excited to collaborate with Dr. Potthoff, Linden, and Ontario Teachers’ to realize our shared vision," expressed Ms. Keegan. "We recognize the inefficiencies and shortcomings of clinical research services that impact patients, research sites, sponsors, and regulators, leading to delays in getting critical therapies to patients in need. Our commitment is to address these challenges head-on and catalyze positive change in our industry."
Vision for a Unified Clinical Research Ecosystem:The initiative is dedicated to building a more unified and efficient clinical research ecosystem. Through strategic M&A and the deployment of technology, it will seek to enhance collaboration across all aspects of clinical research, from patient engagement through regulatory submissions, ensuring that every phase of the research process is seamlessly connected and optimized.
About Linden Capital Partners:
Linden Capital Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry. Founded in 2004, Linden is the country’s largest dedicated healthcare private equity firm by total capital raised. Linden’s strategy is based upon three elements: (i) healthcare specialization, (ii) integrated private equity and operating expertise, and (iii) its differentiated human capital program. Linden invests in middle market platforms in the medical products, specialty distribution, pharmaceutical, and services segments of healthcare. Since its founding, Linden has invested in over 40 healthcare companies encompassing over 325 total transactions. The firm has approximately $8 billion in regulatory assets under management. For more information, please visit www.lindenllc.com.About Ontario Teachers’:
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board is a global investor with net assets of $249.8 billion as at June 30, 2023. We invest in more than 50 countries in a broad array of assets including public and private equities, fixed income, credit, commodities, natural resources, infrastructure, real estate and venture growth to deliver retirement income for 336,000 working members and pensioners.
With offices in Toronto, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, San Francisco, New York, Dallas, and São Paolo, our more than 400 investment professionals bring deep expertise in a broad range of sectors and industries. We are a fully funded defined benefit pension plan and have earned an annual total-fund net return of 9.4% since the plan's founding in 1990. At Ontario Teachers', we don't just invest to make a return, we invest to shape a better future for the teachers we serve, the businesses we back, and the world we live in. For more information at www.otpp.com., visit otpp.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
There isn't much on this initiative but it's an interesting platform which will be headed by Dr. John Potthoff featured above.
I think the key passage in the press release was this by Ms. Keegan: "We recognize the inefficiencies and shortcomings of clinical research services that impact patients, research sites, sponsors, and regulators, leading to delays in getting critical therapies to patients in need. Our commitment is to address these challenges head-on and catalyze positive change in our industry."
Having participated in a few clinical trials looking at potential therapies for multiple sclerosis, I can tell you that trials are expensive, full of delays, bureaucratic nightmares for clinicians and pharmaceutical companies and definitely not efficient.
So, I'm not sure exactly how this new initiative will advance clinical research but I'm all for it, we desperately need to make the entire process a lot better for patients and clinicians.
The big theme in healthcare remains an aging population that needs better treatments for a plethora of illnesses.
By teaming up with Linden Capital, an expert in healthcare industry, Teachers' is trying to innovate ad capitalize on this new platform.
Below, three years ago,
John Potthoff, Elligo Health Research, talks about changing the paradigm of clinical trial recruitment.