Carlyle’s Curia Said in Talks to Buy LakePharma, Integrity Bio

Curia, a company backed by private equity firms Carlyle Group Inc. and GTCR that does contract research and development work for drugmakers, is in talks to acquire two smaller rivals, LakePharma and Integrity Bio, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The two transactions, which could be announced as soon as this week, are expected to collectively be worth more than $500 million, including debt, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information was private.

Final agreements haven’t been reached and talks could still fall apart, the people said.

A spokesperson for Curia said ...