€8.6m once-off charges hit Icon

CLINICAL research firm Icon had a once-off hit of $11.3 million (€8.6m) to blame for sending its third-quarter results into the red yesterday.

The Dublin-based company, which has operations in 23 countries, recorded pre-tax losses of $5m for the three months to February.

This compared unfavourably with an $8.8m profit in the same period last year and was largely due to exceptional charges relating to its central laboratory businesses, as well as costs incurred in terminating leases and closing down certain activities in the US.