HOUSTON – October 1, 2026 – Proxima CRO and HGI Clinical have announced the merger of the two organizations to form Proxima Clinical, a combined contract research organization built to serve companies across the full spectrum of medical device, biotech, and oncology drug development. The merger brings together Proxima's regulatory, quality, and clinical execution strength in MedTech with HGI Clinical's leadership in early-phase oncology and cell and gene therapy development.

Eric Ross will serve as President and CXO of the combined company. Ross has held multiple C-level, executive, and management roles across CRO and eClinical organizations, and has led Proxima's growth as a trusted regulatory and clinical partner to MedTech and Biotech innovators.

Billy Howell, who has served as Chairman of the Board of Proxima and whose ownership also extends to HGI Clinical, will be named Chief Executive Officer. The merger represents a natural next step following the alignment of Proxima and HGI Clinical’s ownership, uniting Proxima's foundation in the Texas Medical Center with HGI Clinical's established track record in complex, early-phase development.

"Bringing Proxima and HGI Clinical together under one name reflects the growth of the organization and our strength in conducting complex clinical trials," said Ross. "Proxima Clinical's strength is our people and their ability and expertise to conduct challenging clinical studies where a one-size-fits-all model does not work. Oncology, Medical Device, CNS, and Rare Disease studies are all very complex and require the right people, procedures, and foundation to achieve success. Proxima Clinical gives sponsors a single, deeper bench across regulatory, quality, and clinical."

“Sponsors working in early-phase oncology and cell and gene therapy are navigating first-in-human dosing, manufacturing and administration logistics, long-term follow-up requirements, and sites that require hands-on support to activate and enroll trial participants,” said Megan Liles, Chief Development Officer of HGI Clinical. “HGI has built its reputation on delivering complex clinical trials at the highest level of quality while working closely with sponsors as a true strategic partner. Pairing HGI’s proven clinical delivery capabilities with Proxima’s clinical, regulatory and quality depth means sponsors can shape their full clinical and regulatory strategy from day one. Together, we are creating a CRO that can support innovators from early-phase development through approval, no matter where their science sits on the therapeutic-to-device spectrum."

Proxima Clinical will operate as a single organization serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic companies, with expanded capabilities in oncology, cell and gene therapy, and early-phase biotech development complementing its existing MedTech and AI/ML regulatory practice.

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About Proxima Clinical

Proxima Clinical is a contract research organization providing regulatory, quality, and clinical research expertise to a diverse range of life sciences companies. Headquartered within the Houston Texas Medical Center, the world's largest medical complex, Proxima Clinical partners with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostic firms. Built from the combination of Proxima CRO, founded in 2017, and HGI Clinical, a CRO dedicated to early-phase oncology and cell and gene therapy drug development, Proxima Clinical operates as a registered Texas Corporation. To learn more, visit ProximaCRO.com.

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