Dublin-listed company Icon has acquired PriceSpective, a US pharmaceutical consultancy.

PriceSpective , which is headquartered in Philadelphia, and has offices in London, Los Angeles, San Diego, Raleigh and Boston, has developed solutions for dozens of products and product launches.

Ciaran Murray, chief executive of Icon said that consumers are "increasingly demanding evidence not only of product efficacy, but also value for money which has led to an upsurge in client demand for research that links efficacy, value and price."

ICON, which is headquartered in Dublin, but is listed on the Nasdaq, has around 8,500 employees, operating from 81 locations in 40 countries.

Mr Murray said that the acquisition of PriceSpective, together with Oxford Outcomes in 2011, demonstrates the company's commitment to"providing clients with integrated service offerings to support early-stage, pre-launch and post-launch decision making."