Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

ICON plc / PRA Health Sciences Inc.

2021 · Acquisition/Merger · $12.0B · Complete

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Top 25 largest deals of the 2020s

Ranks computed across 828 graded deals (Critic + Outcome Score both present).

The coverage arc

Feb 24, 2021 MedCity News Neutral

ICON acquired rival PRA Health Sciences in a $12 billion deal, positioning the combined company as the second-largest clinical trial services provider with…

Jul 02, 2021 Clinical Trials Arena Neutral

ICON concluded its acquisition of contract research organization PRA Health Sciences for approximately $12 billion, creating a combined entity to accelerate…

May 27, 2026 ICON plc — Q4 & FY2025 Results and Audit Committee Investigation Outcome Bearish

FY2025 revenue $8,251.3M (+0.8% reported); adjusted EBITDA $1,530.7M (18.6%). Audit Committee investigation found improper revenue adjustments Q3 2023-Q4…

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ICON plc acquired PRA Health Sciences in a deal valued at approximately $12 billion, creating one of the world's largest contract research organizations. PRA shareholders received $80 in cash and 0.4125 ICON shares per PRA share. UPDATE (2026-06): The combined company scaled to the #2 global CRO (FY2025 revenue $8.25B), but in May 2026 ICON disclosed an Audit Committee investigation finding improper revenue recognition in 2023-2024, forcing a restatement of FY2023/FY2024 results and the identification of material weaknesses in internal controls — a governance development that qualifies the prior post-close performance narrative.

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
ICON plc / PRA Health Sciences Inc. (this deal)2021$12.0B54
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. / Life Technologies Corporation2013$15.1B84
Merck KGaA / Sigma-Aldrich Corporation2014$17.0B80
Becton, Dickinson and Company / C.R. Bard Inc.2017$24.0B77
Johnson & Johnson / Synthes Inc.2011$19.7B77
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. / PPD Inc.2021$17.4B77
Danaher Corporation / GE Life Sciences Biopharma Business (now Cytiva)2019$21.4B76

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