Ockham and Chiltern, two global contract research organizations (CROs) with the latter having a Wilmington location, have announced their companies will merge.
 
The new company will be called Chiltern, according to a news release. Several changes will be made to the national organization, such as the inclusion of the Ockham management team in the new company.
 
“Our joining with Chiltern has been an easy choice, allowing us to leverage Chiltern's global reach and highly developed staffing business in Europe, both of which are complementary to Ockham's deep oncology expertise and source business in the U.S.," James Baker, Ockham’s CEO, who will become Chiltern's chief development officer, said in the release.
 
Whether or not the merger will affect Chiltern’s Wilmington location is unclear as Nicholas Spittal, senior director of global commercial affairs, could not comment at this time. The Wilmington-based executive said, however, there were no immediate changes.
 
“Wilmington is a great area for clinical research,” Spittal said. “In Wilmington and the RTP area, there is a high area of expertise stemming from the university.”
 
Established in the United Kingdom in 1982, Chiltern is a leading CRO, providing clinical research services focused in oncology and a range of other therapeutic areas. The company currently employs about 2,100 people worldwide, Spittal said. 
 
Ockham, headquartered in Cary, employs more than 400 people worldwide, according to web sources.