The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and private equity firm Avista Capital Partners recently partnered to acquire INC Research Inc., a global contract research organization with expertise in managing late stage clinical development programs. The transaction will be finalized by year-end 2010, and is conditional on regulatory approvals, it was stated in a press release.

“Avista Capital Partners and Teachers’ are well-regarded investors in healthcare, and we look forward to benefiting from their extensive industry knowledge and experience,” said James Ogle, CEO of INC Research, which employs 2,000 people in 40 countries. “We feel confident that these investment partners will enhance the longstanding support our company has offered to help customers bring drugs to market and improve world health.”