Search search Menu  Our history Home About us Our history About us  Timeline In 1948, a group of pharmacists in Ballina, a small town in the West of Ireland established United Drug Chemical Co. 1989 saw United Drug listed on the Irish Stock Market. In 1999, the acquisition of Sangers, a wholesale company in Northern Ireland meant United Drug had an all-Ireland distribution service. Since 2000, our strategic focus has been to transition our organisation from demand fulfilment to demand creation and expand our geographical footprint. A critical element in the execution of this strategy has been making the right acquisitions to help us to build, expand and grow our capabilities, territories and leadership positions. 2000 Company logo Ashfield Healthcare Acquired in 2000, Ashfield Healthcare marked our entry into the contract sales market in the UK and Ireland. 2002 Company logo Ventiv Health Ashfield expanded their UK contract sales (CSO) with the acquisition of Ventiv Health. 2005 Company logo In2Focus The acquisition of In2Focus and subsequent integration of Ashfield and In2Focus created Ashfield In2Focus, the UK and Ireland’s No.1 Contract Sales Organisation. 2007 Company logo Alliance Healthcare Acquired in 2007, Alliance Healthcare was a complimentary acquisition of medical call centre capabilities to strengthen US footprint and increase organic growth. 2007 Company logo Move into contract packaging In 2007, UDG Healthcare made its first move into the contract packaging industry with the acquisition of packaging plants in Belgium (Budelpack International) and the Netherlands (Pharma Logistics Investments BV). 2007 Company logo Procon Finally in 2007, the acquisition of Procon in the UK meant we entered into the growing healthcare events market. 2008 Company logo Sharp Corporation 2008 saw the acquisition of Sharp Corporation, with its state-of-the-art packaging facilities, in the US. 2008 Company logo Business Edge Pharma leadership and sales training services strengthened Ashfield’s CSO offering. 2008 Company logo Universal Ashfield’s Meetings & Events capability could now serve the US and the UK healthcare markets with the acquisition of Universal. 2010 Company logo InforMed In 2010, we entered the global healthcare communications market with the acquisition of InforMed. 2010 Company logo WorldEvents The acquisition of WorldEvents in 2010 made us the world’s No.1 specialist provider of international healthcare meetings and events. 2012 Company logo Pharmexx Through the acquisition of Pharmexx, we added true international reach and depth to our contract sales capabilities through our expansion into 8 new countries. 2012 Company logo Bilcare The acquisition of Bilcare in the US and the UK added clinical trial and supply chain packaging expertise to our packaging portfolio. FTSE Listing In 2012, we moved our listing from the Irish Stock Exchange to the London Stock Exchange entering as a FTSE 250 organisation. 2012 Company logo Watermeadow, Drug Safety Alliance and Synopia Our final three acquisitions of 2012 were Watermeadow Medical, Drug Safety Alliance and Synopia RX. 2013 Company logo Launch of UDG Healthcare In 2013, we changed our name from United Drug to UDG Healthcare plc. 2013 Company logo Medical Communications Group The acquisition of Medical Communications Group (MCG), a Canadian-based commercial services provider strengthened our offering in Canada. 2013 Company logo Expansis This Spanish CSO deepened Ashfield’s commercial presence in Europe. 2014 Company logo KnowledgePoint360 KnowledgePoint360 is our largest acquisition to date, making Ashfield a global market leader in healthcare communications. 2014 Company logo Galliard and Nyxeon The acquisitions of Galliard and Nyxeon in 2014, diversified our healthcare communications portfolio to include scientific PR. 2014 Company logo Disposal of UniDrug Distribution Group We also sold our 50% share in UniDrug Distribution Group. 2015 Company logo CMIC Ashfield We formalised our joint venture with CMIC in 2015, creating CMIC Ashfield, a contract sales solution in Japan. Sharp US Facility Expansion We acquired a new site and invested in expanding our Sharp US facility. 2016 Company logo Disposal of United Drug In 2016, we completed the sale of the United Drug Supply Chain businesses and MASTA to McKesson, the culmination of 15 years of strategic development by the Group. 2016 Company logo Pegasus In 2016, we acquired Pegasus, one of the most successful integrated healthcare communications consultancies in the UK. 2016 Company logo STEM Marketing The acquisition of STEM Marketing was our first move into the Advisory space. STEM is the leading global provider of commercial, marketing and medical audits to pharmaceutical companies. 2017 Company logo Sellxpert We acquired Sellxpert, a German and Swiss contract sales outsourcing business, based in Speyer, Germany and Basel, Switzerland, cementing our footprint in the DACH region. 2017 Company logo Vynamic The acquisition of Vynamic, a US-based healthcare industry management consultancy, further strengthened and expanded our Advisory offering. 2017 Company logo Cambridge Biomarketing We acquired Cambridge Biomarketing, a full-service advertising and communications agency focused on orphan diseases and specialty markets. 2017 Company logo MicroMass Communications Our final acquisition of 2017 was the acquisition of MicroMass Communications, a US-based healthcare communications agency specialising in behavioural change. 2018 Company logo SmartAnalyst The acquisition of SmartAnalyst, a New York-based strategic commercialisation consulting and analytics business, focused on the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. 2018 Company logo Create NYC We acquired Create NYC, a New York-based disruptive creative communications agency offering the tactical execution of sales and marketing materials for its international pharmaceutical clients. 2018 Company logo Sale of Aquilant We announced the sale of our Aquilant division to H2 Equity Partners, a European private equity firm. 2019 Company logo Putnam Associates We acquired Putnam Associates, a US-based specialist consultancy focused on product commercialisation strategy, exclusively for the life sciences industry. 2019 Company logo Incisive Health We acquired Incisive Health, a UK-based healthcare communications consultancy, which specialises in healthcare policy, public affairs and communication services. 2020 Company logo Canale Communications We acquired Canale Communications, an award-winning San Diego-based strategic communications agency. 2020 Company logo Ashfield Pharmacovigilance We announced the sale of Ashfield Pharmacovigilance to Ergomed plc. 2020 Company logo Quality Packaging Specialists International We acquired a pharmaceutical packaging facility from Quality Packaging Specialists International, LLC (QPSI), located in Macungie, Pennsylvania. 2020 Company logo Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing We acquired minority ownership in Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing (BSM). 2021 Company logo In 2021 we launched new branding architecture and a shared purpose for Ashfield to create clearer branding and a more integrated service offering and drive increased collaboration. 2021 Company logo In January 2021, Ashfield completed the acquisition of PHMR Limited (“PHMR”), a market access consultancy employing over 40 people in the UK and Ireland. POPULAR PAGES At a glance Our divisions Press Releases & News STAY INFORMED Sign up for email alerts GET CONNECTED OFFICE DETAILS UDG Healthcare 20 Riverwalk Citywest Business Campus Citywest Dublin 24 Ireland OTHER UDG HEALTHCARE WEBSITES OneAshfield Ashfield Advisory Ashfield Engage Ashfield Health Sharp As of 2020, UDG Healthcare received an MSCI ESG Rating of AA. © 2021 UDG Healthcare. All rights reserved. Cookie policy Privacy policy Terms & conditions Anti Modern Slavery Policy Supplier Code of Conduct Sitemap MSCI ESG Disclaimer By Emperor By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Reject All Cookies Accept All Cookies