Syneos Health Expands China Operations with Bestudy CRO Acquisition

North Carolina-based contract research organization (CRO) Syneos Health has acquired China-based CRO Bestudy Medical Technology, a move to increase its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing biopharma markets. 

Syneos completed the acquisition on March 20, 2026.

The financial terms of the deal have not been shared yet. With global industries looking to adapt to shifting geopolitical and economic conditions while continuing to expand, China is looking to position itself as a major hub for clinical development and innovation, offering scale, speed and an increasingly sophisticated ecosystem. 

Under the terms of the acquisition, Shanghai-based Bestudy will continue to operate as an independent entity, maintaining its leadership, branding and local operating model. 

By integrating Bestudy into its broader network, Syneos aims to better serve both multinational pharmaceutical companies and emerging Chinese biotechs across clinical development pipelines.

A Syneos spokesperson told Fierce Biotech that, “The acquisition further strengthens Syneos Health’s ability to support customers in this rapidly growing market,” explaining how the two CROs “are well positioned to support both global biopharma companies and emerging China-based innovators across clinical development.”

The move builds on earlier efforts by Syneos to expand its Chinese presence, including a 2023 partnership involving Wuhan Union Hospital to accelerate clinical trial execution in the region.

Related: Pharma and Biotech M&As 2026 Deal Watcher

The acquisition comes amid a continuing transformation of China’s biotech and clinical research landscape. Once seen primarily as a low-cost destination for trials and manufacturing, China is now a major source of innovation and a preferred site for rapid clinical development.

Clinical trial infrastructure in the country is expanding quickly. According to a report by Phesi, the number of trial sites in China grew by 51% between 2023 and 2025, outpacing the 42% growth seen in the US.

This reflects China’s focus on building a cost-efficient clinical trial ecosystem that could increasingly draw companies away from traditional US-based sites. To bolster these efforts, last year, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) proposed to halve review timelines for novel drug clinical trials from 60 working days to just 30, aimed at speeding up development and bringing new therapies to market more quickly.

In 2023, Syneos was taken private in a $7.1 billion deal led by Elliott Investment Management, Patient Square Capital and Veritas Capital. The all-cash deal included Syneos’ debts. The acquisition gave Syneos greater financial flexibility outside the pressures of public markets, enabling it to pursue longer-term growth strategies.

Also on the dealmaking and partnerships front, in February, Syneos shared results from a survey it conducted, which found that while overall deal volumes have declined amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, biopharma capital remains active and is increasingly concentrated in fewer, higher-value deals focused on differentiated, late-stage assets.

In other words, the market hasn’t slowed so much as it has become more selective, favoring disciplined, high-conviction investments over broad dealmaking.