£3M investment for mobile patient communication specialist Exco InTouch

Leading growth equity and venture capital group Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has led an initial £3m pound investment in Exco InTouch, the leading provider of mobile patient communication and management solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

SEP has taken a minority stake in the company which will use the funds to accelerate its expansion, enabling it to take advantage of significant growth opportunities in the clinical technology sector, particularly in the emerging mobile patient communication market.

Exco InTouch, whose clients include nine of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical businesses, has developed an innovative suite of patient-focused services which are delivered using a combination of cell-phone and internet technology. Used in clinical trials, the company’s services benefit both patients and pharmaceutical clients: supporting patient recruitment and retention; aiding compliance; and facilitating the electronic capture of patient reported outcomes data (ePRO) during clinical trials and in Late Phase observational studies.

The company’s services have already successfully supported more than 600,000 patients participating in clinical trials in more than 70 countries, including working with Pfizer on the industry’s first ever mobile-enabled clinical trial. Benefits include significantly improved patient communication and compliance as well as ease of integration with users’ proprietary systems.

Demand for its services is growing exponentially as pharmaceutical companies are increasingly adopting smart technology to optimise clinical trial execution. Exco InTouch is also targeting opportunities in the broader healthcare market as its mobile platform can also be used to manage patient education, medication compliance and measure effectiveness.

The business, which is already generating profits and employs some 40 staff, has its headquarters in the UK and bases in the United States and recently opened a second UK office in Nottingham to accommodate up to 30 more staff. Its strategy is focused on a patient-centred solution, a stance supported by regulatory authorities.

Exco InTouch, which was founded in 2004 by Chief Executive Tim Davis and Chief Technology Officer Mike Hansen, benefits from a highly experienced senior management team. The company is headed by Executive Chairman Neil Rotherham, co-founder of ClinPhone, another clinical technology business which he steered  from start up to a successful IPO on the London Stock Exchange, before it was acquired by Parexel, one of the world’s top contract research organisations.

SEP will support the company through its next growth phase, enabling it to invest further in people, technology and infrastructure and to further enhance its revolutionary mobile technology platform. Jan Rutherford, a Partner at SEP, joins Exco InTouch as a non-executive director. She brings on board a wealth of experience in providing strategic support to high growth companies in the healthcare sector as well as previous experience in working for Novartis and Quintiles.

Jan Rutherford said: “We have great confidence in the Exco InTouch management team who have an outstanding track record in the clinical technology sector.  We see significant growth opportunities for what is truly game-changing technology. They are conducting pioneering work with world leaders in drug development which is helping to make healthcare more efficient, effective, accessible and patient-centric.”

Dr. Neil Rotherham, Executive Chairman at Exco InTouch, adds, “We were attracted to SEP’s extensive industry experience and heavy investment in the market sector we work in. SEP will be able to complement and challenge us, as well as helping our continuing growth. This financial year has proved highly successful for us, with particular growth in our ePRO, and patient engagement services that are used for patient retention, recruitment and compliance in clinical trials and other healthcare settings.”