Lexitas Pharma Services, a portfolio company of QHP Capital, announced the acquisition of Erie Retina Research, CASExERIE, and the assets of Element Erie: Imaging & Reading Center, expanding the company’s retina-focused clinical research and ophthalmic imaging capabilities.
Under the deal, Erie Retina Research will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lexitas, while CASExERIE will continue operating within Erie Retina Research. The transaction also brings Element Erie’s ophthalmic imaging review and interpretation capabilities into Lexitas’ broader clinical trial platform.
The acquisition strengthens Lexitas’ position as a leading ophthalmology clinical research organization (CRO) by combining its clinical trial operations with Erie Retina Research’s expertise in vitreoretinal studies, surgical innovation, and retina-focused product development. The company said the integrated structure is designed to improve efficiency, consistency, and scientific depth across retina clinical development programs.
Lexitas noted that the acquisition comes at a time of rapid advancement in retinal therapeutics and is intended to help sponsors execute high-quality retinal clinical trials with greater operational rigor and specialized expertise. The addition of Element Erie also expands Lexitas’ reading center capabilities by incorporating larger ophthalmic imaging datasets and advanced retinal image analysis expertise.
The combined organization aims to create an integrated retina research ecosystem that offers broader patient access across retinal diseases, faster and more predictable enrollment, streamlined trial execution, enhanced support for surgical and medical device studies, centralized image reading and analysis, and expanded scientific leadership for protocol design and clinical strategy.
As part of the transaction, Erie Retina Research President and CEO and CASExERIE Founder Dr. David Almeida, MD, MBA, PhD, will join Lexitas as Chief Retina Strategy Officer. In this role, he will lead scientific and strategic development across the combined retina portfolio.
Support: Agenda Health served as financial advisor to Erie Retina Research.
KEY QUOTES:
“This partnership marks a pivotal moment for Lexitas and for the advancement of retina research. By integrating the exceptional capabilities of Erie Retina Research and CASExERIE with our operational platform, we are building a research ecosystem that is faster, more predictable, and more aligned with sponsor needs. Most importantly, it expands access for patients and accelerates progress toward meaningful ophthalmic therapies.”
Jeanne Hecht, CEO, Lexitas Pharma Services
“We are thrilled to join Lexitas and help shape the future of retina research. Together, we are creating a coordinated, world-class retina research engine that brings together scientific expertise, operational excellence, and the infrastructure needed to deliver for sponsors and for patients. This collaboration empowers us to broaden our impact and enhance the way we serve patients and sponsors.”
Dr. David Almeida, Chief Retina Strategy Officer, Lexitas Pharma Services
