GTCR, a leading private equity firm, today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Ed Fiorentino to form Crealta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Crealta”). The new company, headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, will focus on acquiring specialty pharmaceutical companies and products as part of a strategy to build a leading company in the industry. Target acquisition opportunities include products which are already approved or currently marketed, as well as late-stage development assets. GTCR may invest up to $200 million of equity capital to support management's strategy. Mr. Fiorentino will serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Crealta.

Crealta is the second partnership between GTCR and Ed Fiorentino. Previously, Mr. Fiorentino was Chief Executive Officer of Actient Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company which was acquired in April 2013 by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AUXL). Actient was established in March 2009 in partnership with GTCR. Through a series of five proprietary acquisitions, Actient built a diversified portfolio of commercial products and pipeline programs and created a unique specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of urological conditions.

Prior to his role building Actient, Ed was a former corporate officer and 22-year veteran of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). His senior-level management experience at Abbott includes Corporate Vice President of Pharmaceutical Commercial Operations, where he was responsible for all U.S. sales, marketing and new product planning. He also served as Senior Vice President and President, Abbott Diabetes Care, leading Abbott's global device business in this area. Ed was Executive Vice President of TAP Pharmaceuticals, an Abbott joint venture with Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

“We are very excited to partner with Ed again to build a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on delivering clinically meaningful products to patients,” said GTCR Managing Director Dean Mihas. “Ed and his team were very successful in building Actient into a fast growing company in the space. Ed’s industry expertise, strategic vision and operational abilities make him an ideal partner as GTCR commits to another platform in this industry.”

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with GTCR again and build another pharmaceutical company,” said Mr. Fiorentino. “GTCR was an ideal partner during Actient’s formation, growth period and recent sale to Auxilium. The firm has a long history of backing experienced managers and providing them with the resources and support required to build successful companies through both organic growth and acquisitions. Crealta is GTCR’s sixth pharmaceutical platform and is well positioned to benefit from the firm’s deep domain knowledge and track record.”

“GTCR’s commitment to Ed and the formation of Crealta is a reflection of our outlook for investing capital in the pharmaceutical industry,” added Ben Daverman, Vice President at GTCR. “We are actively looking for acquisitions and we believe there will continue to be a number of compelling investment opportunities in the market. Working with Ed, we are in a unique position to evaluate and pursue select assets.”

GTCR’s investment in Crealta will be made from GTCR Fund X LP, a private equity fund with $3.25 billion of committed capital.

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare and Information Services & Technology industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy™ – finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $10 billion in over 200 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com.

About Crealta Pharmaceuticals

Crealta Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on therapeutics to improve patient outcomes. The company was formed to acquire specialty pharmaceutical companies and products with a focus on select physician specialties. For more information about Crealta Pharmaceuticals, please contact (312) 933-4903.