Company Overview - Fortrea Holdings is a leading global contract research organization focused on advancing clinical development and providing innovative solutions to accelerate the transition from molecule to medicine [1] - The company was established in 2023 after spinning out from Labcorp, with its roots tracing back to Covance, which was acquired by Labcorp in 2015 [2] Leadership Presentation - The presentation at the 44th JPMorgan Healthcare Conference was led by CEO Anshul Thakral, with CFO Jill McConnell assisting during the Q&A session [1] - The conference serves as a platform for the company to engage with stakeholders and kickstart the year positively [2]

Summary of Fortrea Holdings Conference Call Company Overview - **Company Name**: Fortrea Holdings - **Industry**: Contract Research Organization (CRO) - **Background**: Fortrea was spun out from Labcorp in 2023, with roots tracing back to Covance, which Labcorp acquired in 2015. The company focuses on advancing clinical development and providing innovative solutions for drug development [2][3]. Core Points and Arguments - **Value Proposition**: Fortrea positions itself as a pure-play global CRO with decades of experience, capable of serving a diverse client base, from large pharmaceutical companies to small biotech firms [4][5]. - **Market Environment**: The overall market for pharmaceutical R&D investments is cautiously optimistic, with expected growth rates of approximately 3%-4% in the near term, driven by big pharma's renewed focus on R&D and improvements in biotech funding [6][24][26]. - **Service Offerings**: Fortrea provides a comprehensive suite of services across the clinical trial continuum, including clinical operations, data management, biostatistics, and consulting services, with expertise in over 20 therapeutic areas [8][12]. - **Technological Integration**: The company is modernizing study delivery by leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance productivity and quality in clinical trials [5][14]. - **Client Relationships**: Fortrea emphasizes building strong, long-term relationships with clients, which is reflected in its balanced client base of approximately 50% large pharma and 50% biotech [13][39]. Important but Overlooked Content - **Operational Focus**: The management team is concentrating on three pillars of excellence: commercial, operational, and financial, to drive sustained revenue growth and margin expansion [15][17]. - **Cost Management**: Fortrea aims to achieve approximately $150 million in gross cost savings, with a focus on right-sizing the organization while also driving revenue growth [32][33]. - **Market Trends**: There is a shift towards hybrid outsourcing models, particularly among mid-sized biotech companies, which Fortrea is well-positioned to accommodate [28]. - **Pricing Discipline**: The CRO market is competitive, and while pricing plays a significant role in FSP (Functional Service Provider) contracts, Fortrea maintains a focus on quality and team performance over price alone [34][35]. - **Capital Allocation**: Post-spin, Fortrea is focused on improving its debt position and making targeted organic investments to enhance productivity and relevance in the market [36][38]. Conclusion - **Key Message**: Fortrea has successfully transitioned out of its spin-off phase, is focused on execution and customer satisfaction, and is optimistic about returning to sustainable growth as market conditions improve [39].

Core Viewpoint - The acquisition of Crown Bioscience by Adicon Holdings for approximately $204 million is a significant milestone aimed at creating an integrated service platform that spans early research to clinical testing, thereby accelerating global expansion [1][2]. Group 1: Strategic Value of the Acquisition - The acquisition will enable a full-process integrated service capability, combining Crown Bioscience's extensive PDX model library and clinical resources with Adicon's established clinical testing capabilities in China [2]. - Post-acquisition, the overseas revenue share of Adicon is expected to reach 23.1%, with about 80% of Crown Bioscience's revenue coming from the North American and European markets, enhancing the company's international service capabilities [2]. - The acquisition is expected to create a dual-driven model of "ICL + CRO," leveraging stable clinical testing business as a foundation and high-growth CRO business as an innovation engine [2][3]. Group 2: Market Timing and Industry Context - The acquisition is timely due to the active global pharmaceutical R&D environment, with over 22,000 molecules in development as of 2024, reflecting an 85% increase since 2015 [4]. - China's biotechnology innovation is rapidly rising, with significant growth in the domestic innovative drug market and increasing recognition of the quality of Chinese innovations in the global market [4]. - The capital market is favorable for this acquisition, as the CRO sector has seen strong stock performance, indicating sustained market optimism regarding growth potential [4]. Group 3: Crown Bioscience's Competitive Position - Crown Bioscience is one of the largest preclinical oncology-focused CROs globally, with a market share among the top three in its segment, supported by a leading tumor model resource library [5][6]. - The company has established over 5,000 tumor models, including more than 3,000 PDX models, and maintains a high customer retention rate of 95%, indicating strong client relationships [6]. - Crown Bioscience's financial performance is robust, with a long-term gross margin stable between 46% and 50%, and an adjusted EBITDA margin consistently above 18% from 2022 to 2024 [6]. Group 4: Future Aspirations and Comparisons - Adicon aims to emulate LabCorp's successful model, which transformed into a global leader in laboratory diagnostics and drug development after acquiring Covance for $6.1 billion [7]. - The goal is to establish a "Chinese version of Danaher," leveraging Adicon's stable ICL business and high-growth CRO business to create a virtuous cycle of internal growth and external acquisitions [7]. - This acquisition is not only a milestone for Adicon but also has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape of the CRO/ICL industry in China, positioning the new platform to play a critical role in global oncology innovation [7].

Core Viewpoint - The acquisition of Crown Bioscience by Adicon Holdings for approximately $204 million is a significant milestone aimed at creating an integrated service platform that spans early research to clinical testing, thereby accelerating global expansion [1][2]. Group 1: Strategic Value of the Acquisition - The acquisition will enable a full-process integrated service capability, combining Crown Bioscience's extensive tumor model library and advanced organoid platform with Adicon's established clinical testing capabilities in China [2]. - Post-acquisition, the overseas revenue share of Adicon is expected to reach 23.1%, with about 80% of Crown Bioscience's revenue coming from the North American and European markets, enhancing the company's international service capabilities [2]. - The "ICL+CRO" dual-driven model will be established, leveraging stable clinical testing business as a foundation and high-growth CRO business as an innovation engine, capitalizing on the increasing global investment in biopharmaceutical R&D [2][3]. Group 2: Market Timing and Industry Context - The acquisition is timely due to the active global pharmaceutical R&D environment, with over 22,000 molecules in development expected by 2024, reflecting an 85% increase since 2015 [4]. - China's biotechnology innovation is rapidly rising, with local innovative drug markets gaining global recognition, particularly in the oncology sector, leading to high-value licensing transactions [4]. - The capital market is favorable for this acquisition, as the CRO sector has seen strong stock performance, indicating sustained market optimism regarding growth potential [4]. Group 3: Crown Bioscience's Competitive Position - Crown Bioscience is one of the largest preclinical oncology-focused CROs globally, with a market share consistently ranking in the top three of its segment, supported by a leading tumor model resource library [5][6]. - The company has established over 5,000 tumor models, including more than 3,000 PDX models, and maintains a strong client base of over 1,100 global customers, including 95% of the top 20 oncology drug companies [6]. - Crown Bioscience demonstrates robust financial performance, with a long-term gross margin stable between 46% and 50%, and an adjusted EBITDA margin exceeding 18% from 2022 to 2024 [6]. Group 4: Future Aspirations and Market Positioning - Adicon aims to emulate LabCorp's successful model, which transformed into a global leader in laboratory diagnostics and drug development after acquiring Covance for $6.1 billion [7]. - The goal is to establish a "Chinese version of Danaher," leveraging Adicon's stable ICL business and high-growth CRO business to create a virtuous cycle of internal growth and external acquisitions [7]. - This acquisition is not only a milestone for Adicon but also has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape of the CRO/ICL industry in China, positioning the new platform at the forefront of global oncology innovation [7].