North Carolina-based contract research organization Syneos Health is making a play to capitalize on China’s rapidly ascendant biopharma industry. Syneos has acquired Chinese CRO Bestudy to secure a foothold in the Asian nation.
Bestudy will still work as a standalone company with its own leadership, brand and local operating model, a Syneos spokesperson confirmed to Fierce Biotech.
“The acquisition further strengthens Syneos Health’s ability to support customers in this rapidly growing market,” the spokesperson said. “Together, Syneos Health and Bestudy are well positioned to support both global biopharma companies and emerging China-based innovators across clinical development.”
The company did not disclose financial details of the acquisition.
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Syneos has previously made moves to build relationships with Chinese clinical research sites, bringing Wuhan Union Hospital under its umbrella in 2023. At the time, Syneos leadership said the partnership was meant to “accelerate our clinical development impact in this rapidly growing and changing market.”
The Wuhan pact came not long after Syneos itself was acquired by a trio of private equity firms that shelled out a stunning $7.1 billion for the research outfit.
China’s recent rise as a biotech powerhouse has been well documented, including not just a surge in innovative new drug candidates but also a speedier clinical trial ecosystem that is often cheaper and more attractive to companies than sites in America.
The number of trial sites in China grew 51% from 2023 to 2025, compared to a 42% growth rate for the U.S., according to a December report from Phesi.
