Business Expansion through Acquisitions

Connecticut-based Great Point Partners is a healthcare investment firm that was founded in 2003. Great Point Partners invests in public and private sector healthcare organizations.

Recently, the firm announced an acquisition completed by one of its portfolio companies, Aris Radiology. Aris acquired US Teleradiology in October of 2016, enhancing its status as one of the leading radiology providers in the United States. An acquisition is a common business tactic implemented by corporations as part of a broader growth strategy.

Acquisitions refer to one corporation assuming control of another through cash transactions, the purchase of shares, or both. Acquisitions – also referred to as takeovers – are considered to be either friendly or hostile. A friendly acquisition occurs when the firm being acquired has agreed to the takeover and is involved in the process, while a hostile takeover does not include this mutual agreement. In a hostile acquisition, the acquiring firm forces the takeover to move forward by aggressively purchasing a majority share in the business.

Clinical Trials Occur in Four Phases to Determine Treatment Safety

Great Point Partners, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, manages capital in private and public equity funds. Great Point Partners recently provided growth recapitalization capital to Alliance Biomedical Research, a leader in clinical trial research that focuses on Phase II to IV clinical trials.

Clinical trials occur in four phases. In Phase I, researchers test the treatment, medication, or device utilizing a small group of volunteers. This the first attempt to test with humans. The researchers evaluate the treatment in terms of safety, dosage (for medications), and repeated side effects.

In Phase II, the treatment is monitored within a larger group of people, still being observed for contraindications and side effects.

In Phase III, the treatment is tested within large groups to confirm that it is effective, to monitor side effects, and to compare it to other treatments currently available. The treatment is still being evaluated during this phase for safety issues.

In Phase IV, the treatment is placed on the market. During this phase of the study, researchers evaluate the treatment among diverse groups of people, and collect information regarding the long-term side effects of the drug or treatment.

Biotronic Acquires NuWave Monitoring

A health care investment firm, Great Point Partners clients hold private equity positions in portfolio companies across North America and Western Europe including Biotronic NeuroNetwork (Biotronic). 

Biotronic is the largest independent provider of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in the nation and the world. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, it currently employs over 250 administrative, support, and clinical staff, including more than 200 technicians.

Great Point Partners recently announced that Biotronic has acquired NuWave Monitoring, another intraoperative neuromonitoring company. With highly trained, certified technologists and surgeons and state-of-the-art health facilities, NuWave Monitoring serve patients in Illinois and Indiana and is a good fit as an add-on company.

Both Biotronic and NuWave Monitoring share a commitment to quality and service. Thanks to the acquisition, Biotronic will expand its presence in the area around Chicago and northwestern Indiana. 

NuWave Monitoring will continue working through its doctors and hospitals and will comply with Biotronic's Joint Commission-accredited, quality-assurance program.,

Professional Physical Therapy Pursues Expansion in Connecticut

Established in 2003, Great Point Partners (GPP) has extensive equity capital under management in the health care investment sphere. Great Point Partners expanded its portfolio in early 2016 by announcing the acquisition of half a dozen clinics in Connecticut, where it is headquartered.

Professional Physical Therapy (ProPT), a GPP I portfolio company, acquired several Moore Physical Therapy & Fitness offices. This move was described as a way of broadening its offerings to include an expanded team of occupational and licensed physical therapists, as well as sports rehabilitation professionals. A core focus is on designing evidence-based treatment plans that comprehensively incorporate best practices.

The founder of Moore Physical Therapy & Fitness noted that after 25 years of running the company, he believed that this acquisition would benefit patients and staff and reinforce a “best-in-class” care commitment. The principal at GPP described partnership with the region’s largest outpatient physical therapy provider as bolstering the company’s presence throughout the tri-state market.

Great Point Partners Overview

The principals of Great Point Partners have a long history of helping executives build successful health care companies with capital and expertise. Our investment team is augmented by our CEO Advisory Board and Medical Advisory Board. Members of our CEO Advisory Board have led the creation of industry leading enterprises and are available to provide strategic advice and operations assistance to our entrepreneurs and serve as Operating Chairmen or Lead Directors of our portfolio companies.

In 2003, we started the firm with a vision of helping growing health care companies achieve their full potential. Like our portfolio companies, Great Point Partners itself has been a fast-growing company. Currently we have approximately 25 professionals. Our team is hardworking, creative, and dedicated to building the best health care investment firm in the country.

We recognize that there is tremendous synergy between investing in both private and public companies. Consequently, we have two separate investment teams managing both public (BMVF) and private (GPP I, GPP II) health care funds totaling approximately $800 million in assets. We understand the strategies of public companies and the opportunities for the next generation of private company innovators. Since our founding in 2003, Great Point Partners has invested over $1 billion in capital in more than 100 health care businesses.

The knowledge base within our firm is extensive. Our Managing Directors have more than 100 collective years of private equity experience, averaging 15 years per Managing Director. We understand the financial and operational issues that confront managers of growth companies because we have dealt with them ourselves.

We have built an extensive record of helping CEOs maximize shareholder value. Our senior investment professionals serve on the Boards of Directors and support the management teams of our portfolio companies, providing them with direct access to all of our resources. In addition, our experience and professional network has helped entrepreneurs realize value through initial public stock offerings, follow-on financings, and mergers and acquisitions.

Equian's Growth and Sale

Founded in 2003, Great Point Partners is a healthcare investment firm with equity capital invested in healthcare companies in North America and Western Europe. With a team of 26 employees, Great Point Partners attempts to identify growing companies such as Equian and invests in them for growth.

Equian, a healthcare data service company that serves healthcare providers throughout the United States, ensures healthcare costs are paid accurately and at the lowest cost to the consumer. After receiving investment backing in 2007, the company has grown:

The attractive growth trajectory Equian underwent attracted other investors,and on December 18, 2015, the company was acquired by New Mountain Capital, LLC.

Acquisition Financing Options

Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, the health care investment firm Great Point Partners focuses its attention on companies in the medical sector primarily through the United States, as well as Europe, and Canada. Among Great Point Partners’ portfolio companies is Citra Health Solutions. In April 2015, Dr. Barry M. Straube joined the organization as a member of its board of directors.

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Citra Health Solutions focuses on providing clients with the resources necessary to accommodate the growing number of accountable health care organizations and the emerging trend toward value-based reimbursement systems within the health care industry. Dr. Straube, who came to Citra as the former chief medical officer of the governmental organization Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, draws on his physician executive and medical leadership experience in the managed care, physician-hospital, and state and federal health care sectors. With Dr. Straube’s arrival, Citra’s executive management hopes that the company will be better equipped to provide medical professionals with the tools they need to deliver quality medical care.

In recent quarters Citra has seen record sales and hopes that Dr. Straube’s experience and governance as a member of the board will help the company to thrive in new territory, as modern health care becomes increasingly involved with value-based programs.