DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ICON plc (NASDAQ: ICLR), a global provider of drug development and commercialisation solutions and services, today announced that PMG Research, Inc., part of ICON Site and Patient Recruitment, and DuPage Medical Group of Chicago, Illinois have finalised a Master Agreement formalising a clinical research partnership. Effective May 2018, PMG Research will assume the research infrastructure at the DuPage Medical Group.

The expansion of the PMG Research network enhances ICON’s ability to increase access and engagement with investigator sites and patients, helping customers to reduce the overall time and cost associated with drug development. The addition of DuPage Medical Group provides investigator and patient access in the greater Chicago area, while bringing clinical research as a care option to the communities served.

DuPage Medical Group is the largest independent, multi-specialty physician group in the Chicagoland area, with practice sites in more than 100 locations in DuPage, Cook, Grundy, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties. DuPage Medical Group provides patients with access to more than 700 physicians in over 50 clinical specialties ranging from primary care to specialty care in areas such as cardiology and oncology.

“Enrolling and engaging patients in clinical trials continues to be one of the biggest challenges within drug development. Our partnership with DuPage Medical Group extends our ability to help customers enhance clinical trial feasibility and improve patient enrolment timelines whilst also giving patients access to a broader range of care options through clinical trials.” Commented EB McLindon, Senior Vice President, Site & Patient Recruitment, ICON. “We are committed to enhancing engagement with sites, patients and healthcare providers to take significant time and cost from our customers’ development programmes.”

Dr. Paul Merrick, President of DuPage Medical Group, agrees, “Through this collaboration, additional communities in Illinois, along with more of DuPage Medical Group’s patients, will have increased access to clinical research in a broad range of therapeutic areas. The integration of clinical research into patient care as a result of partnerships between healthcare institutions and clinical research site organisations delivers additional benefits and innovative solutions to the drug development process; both patients and healthcare providers will ultimately see lowered costs and faster time to market for potentially life-saving medications, vaccines, and medical devices.”

Dr. Paul Merrick continues, “DuPage Medical Group has participated in clinical trials and research over the last 13 years in many specialty areas including dermatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, spine and otolaryngology. Joining forces with ICON will allow us to continue to expand access in other areas including oncology and will play an integral role in advancing the treatment options available to our patients and the communities we serve.”

About ICON plc

ICON plc is a global provider of outsourced drug development and commercialisation solutions and services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and government and public health organisations. The company specialises in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. With headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, ICON currently, operates from 97 locations in 38 countries and has approximately 13,380 employees. Further information is available at www.iconplc.com

About PMG Research, Inc.

PMG Research, Inc. part of ICON Site & Patient Recruitment, is an integrated network of clinical research facilities operating 53 clinics in 14 cities in North America. It has conducted over 8,100 research studies for hundreds of pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs since 1979 and has extensive experience conducting all phases of trials across all major therapeutic areas with particular experience in cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, men’s health, neurology, pulmonology, rheumatology, vaccine, and women’s health trials. Further information is available at www.pmg-research.com.

About DuPage Medical Group

Founded in 1999, DuPage Medical Group is the largest independent, multi-specialty physician group with more than 700 physicians in over 100 suburban Chicago locations. DMG is a patient-centered organisation focused on improving access to convenient, quality health care using the latest technology and treatment options. For more information, visit www.dupagemedicalgroup.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and information currently available, including current economic and industry conditions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actual results, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those stated in this press release. The forward-looking statements are subject to future events, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the statements, including, but not limited to, the ability to enter into new contracts, maintain client relationships, manage the opening of new offices and offering of new services, the integration of new business mergers and acquisitions, as well as economic and global market conditions and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in SEC reports filed by ICON, all of which are difficult to predict and some of which are beyond our control. For these reasons, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements when making investment decisions. The word "expected" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements may be found in SEC reports filed by ICON, including its Form 20-F, F-1, S-8 and F-3, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

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