WASHINGTON, DC and NEW YORK, NY—May 2, 2025—Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) (“Carlyle”), SK Capital Partners, LP (“SK Capital”) and Beacon Parent Holdings, L.P. (“Parent”) today announced that Beacon Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”) has extended the expiration date of its offer (the “Offer”) to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of bluebird bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) (“bluebird”), to expire at one minute after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 12, 2025.  The Offer was previously scheduled to expire one minute after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 2, 2025. The tender offer was extended to allow additional time for the satisfaction of the remaining conditions to the tender offer, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.

Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, the depositary for the Offer, has advised Merger Sub that as of the close of business on May 1, 2025, approximately 936,791 shares of bluebird common stock have been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. Holders that have previously tendered their shares do not need to re-tender their shares or take any other action in response to this extension.

The Offer is being made pursuant to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, dated March 7, 2025 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Offer to Purchase”), the related letter of transmittal and certain other offer documents, copies of which are attached to the tender offer statement on Schedule TO filed by Parent and Merger Sub with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 7, 2025, as amended.

The Offer is conditioned upon the fulfilment of certain conditions described in “Section 15—Conditions to the Offer” of the Offer to Purchase, including, but not limited to, the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of bluebird, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

About bluebird bio, Inc.

Founded in 2010, bluebird has been setting the standard for gene therapy for more than a decade—first as a scientific pioneer and now as a commercial leader. bluebird has an unrivaled track record in bringing the promise of gene therapy out of clinical studies and into the real-world setting, having secured FDA approvals for three therapies in under two years. Today, we are proving and scaling the commercial model for gene therapy and delivering innovative solutions for access to patients, providers, and payers.

With a dedicated focus on severe genetic diseases, bluebird has the largest and deepest ex-vivo gene therapy data set in the field, with industry-leading programs for sickle cell disease, ß-thalassemia, and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy. We custom design each of our therapies to address the underlying cause of disease and have developed in-depth and effective analytical methods to understand the safety of our lentiviral vector technologies and drive the field of gene therapy forward.

bluebird continues to forge new paths as a standalone commercial gene therapy company, combining our real-world experience with a deep commitment to patient communities and a people-centric culture that attracts and grows a diverse flock of dedicated birds.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $441 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2024, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About SK Capital 

SK Capital is a transformational private investment firm with a disciplined focus on the life sciences, specialty materials, and ingredients sectors. The firm seeks to build resilient, sustainable, and growing businesses that create substantial long-term value. SK Capital aims to utilize its industry, operating, and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth, and profitability, as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital’s portfolio of businesses generates revenues of approximately $12 billion annually, employs more than 25,000 people globally, and operates more than 200 plants in over 30 countries. The firm currently has approximately $9 billion in assets under management. For more information, please visit www.skcapitalpartners.com. 

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication is not an offer to buy nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of bluebird. The solicitation and the offer to buy shares of bluebird’s common stock is only being made pursuant to the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, a letter of transmittal and other related materials, that Parent and Merger Sub filed with the SEC. In addition, bluebird filed with the SEC a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer. Investors may obtain a free copy of these materials and other documents filed by Parent, Merger Sub and bluebird with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Investors may also obtain, at no charge, any such documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by (i) bluebird under the “Investors & Media” section of bluebird’s website at www.bluebirdbio.com or (ii) by Parent and Merger Sub by calling Innisfree M&A Incorporated, the information agent for the Offer, toll-free at (877) 825-8793 for stockholders or by calling collect at (212) 750-5833 for banks or brokers.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9 OF BLUEBIRD AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER AND THE MERGER THAT ARE FILED WITH THE SEC, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER TO TENDER THEIR SHARES INTO THE TENDER OFFER BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER.

Investors & Media Contacts 

Bluebird 

Investors: 

Courtney O’Leary

978-621-7347

coleary@bluebirdbio.com

Media: 

Jess Rowlands

857-299-6103

jess.rowlands@bluebirdbio.com

Carlyle 

Media: 

Brittany Berliner

+1 (212) 813-4839

brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

SK Capital 

Ben Dillon

+1(646)-278-1353  

bdillon@skcapitalpartners.com

Investment to support continued product innovation and customer support for ChiroHD’s practice management software dedicated to chiropractors

Atlanta, GA – April 29, 2025 – ChiroHD, a leading cloud-based practice management system for chiropractors, has secured $26 million in growth capital from Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm investing in vertical SaaS companies, to help accelerate product innovation, enhance platform experience, and expand customer support.

Created by chiropractors and software veterans, ChiroHD is a comprehensive chiropractic SaaS platform offering scheduling, EHR, texting, insurance management, integrated financials, and care management. Built natively in the cloud and aimed at taking practices to the next level, ChiroHD features clean workflows and seamlessly integrated tools designed to support clinics of all sizes—from new practices to high-volume clinics and multi-office franchises.

“Mainsail is the ideal partner to help drive our vision forward, as their investment and resources will enable ChiroHD to continue to deliver on our commitment to the chiropractic industry,” said Gabriel Doty, CEO and Co-Founder of ChiroHD. “We are focused on enhancing and improving the product, exploring how we can incorporate AI, adding to our already strong customer support, and continuing our mission to make it easier for our clinics to serve their patients and communities.”

“Chiropractors have long needed a modern, cloud-based practice management system designed specifically for their industry,” said Anthony Hayes, Principal at Mainsail Partners. “Gabriel and Luke purpose-built a feature-rich platform that meets this need, and we are excited to support them as they deepen their focus on delivering the most intuitive, modern practice management solution exclusively for chiropractic practices.”

“Partnering with Mainsail will help us accelerate our vision of delivering practice management software that sets the standard— software that our customers love and confidently recommend to their peers, that provides lasting value to the chiropractic community, and that allows them to spend their time improving the health of their patients,” added Luke Doty, CTO and Co-Founder of ChiroHD. “With more than two decades of experience scaling vertical SaaS businesses, we believe Mainsail will be a highly valuable partner to help take our product, company, and customers to the next level of growth.”

Founders Advisors served as the exclusive financial advisor to ChiroHD in this transaction.

About ChiroHD:

More than just a cloud-based EHR solution, ChiroHD is a passionate advocate for the chiropractic community. Founded on the belief that technology should empower rather than complicate, ChiroHD was designed to be a comprehensive practice management system specifically for chiropractors. Our cloud-based platform runs an entire practice from a single browser tab, eliminating the need for on-site servers or complicated installations. With a 4.9-star support satisfaction rating, we partner with practitioners from single-doctor offices to multi-location groups and franchises.

ChiroHD’s mission extends beyond software. We also actively collaborate with major chiropractic universities on research initiatives to advance the profession. At our core, we believe technology should serve people, not the other way around, giving chiropractors more time to focus on what truly matters: providing exceptional care to patients.

For more information, visit www.chirohd.com.

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA and KING OF PRUSSIA, PA—Suvoda, a global clinical trial technology company specializing in randomization and trial supply management, consent, and patient outcomes data collection solutions for complex, life-sustaining studies, and Greenphire, a leader in clinical trial payments, financial management, and patient support tools, today announced the successful completion of their previously announced merger, bringing the two companies under common ownership and management.

Through this merger, the combined company is now better equipped to provide a comprehensive solution to its customers to support the urgent and mission critical moments of their clinical trials. Its customers will have access to an expanded set of capabilities, while continuing to benefit from its steadfast commitment to high-quality services and support. The combined solutions will be unified on a powerful platform that will simplify workflows and ease the experience of running and participating in a clinical trial. The unified data layer will deliver greater insight to empower sponsors, sites, and patients to make more informed and nuanced decisions about their trials.

The combined company will be known as Suvoda. Meaning “the dawn of wellbeing” in Sanskrit, Suvoda reinforces the promise to ease the patient, site, and sponsor experience in clinical trials and contribute to advancing health globally. The name Greenphire will continue at the product level.

The company will be led by Chief Executive Officer Jagath Wanninayake, Suvoda’s Founder and CEO. Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, is the lead strategic investor in the combined company, with Bain Capital Tech Opportunities Fund and LLR Partners making a significant minority investment.

“We are thrilled to announce the completion of our merger and the beginning of our new journey together,” said Jagath Wanninayake, CEO of the combined company. “This partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to optimize the financial and operational aspects of clinical trials. As one firm, we are now better able to deliver for our customers by meeting their evolving needs and providing them with enhanced solutions that will drive efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”

About Suvoda
Suvoda is a global clinical trial technology company specializing in complex, life-sustaining studies in therapeutic areas like oncology, central nervous system (CNS), and rare diseases. Founded in 2013 by experts in eClinical technologies, Suvoda empowers clinical trial professionals to manage the most urgent moments in the most urgent trials through advanced software solutions delivered on a single platform. Headquartered outside Philadelphia, Suvoda also maintains offices in Portland, OR, Barcelona, Spain, Bucharest and Iasi, Romania, and Tokyo, Japan. The company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) consistently exceeds the technology industry average, contributing to the company being selected by trial sponsors and CROs to support more than 1,800 trials across 95 countries. To learn more, visit suvoda.com. Follow Suvoda on LinkedIn.

About Greenphire
Greenphire is the pioneer in financial management and patient support for global clinical trials. From participant reimbursements, travel, and engagement to study budgeting and data, site payments, and more, the company connects the dots across disparate processes and stakeholders to get studies done faster. Founded in 2008 and guided by a dedication to site and participant experience, Greenphire’s best in class solutions accommodate regional workflow preferences, navigate challenging regulatory demands, and address the unique needs of every patient. Greenphire currently supports more than one million active trial participants and more than 25,000 investigative research teams at sites in 80 countries worldwide. Greenphire Means GO. To learn more, we invite you to visit greenphire.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Read the release on PR Newswire here.

Bedford, Massachusetts, April 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Lexington Medical (“Lexington”), a leader in minimally-invasive surgical stapling solutions, today announced a strategic investment by Ampersand Capital Partners (“Ampersand”), a private equity firm specializing in growth equity investments in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. The partnership underscores Ampersand’s confidence in Lexington’s potential to redefine surgical stapling standards and positions the company for accelerated growth in product innovation, smart manufacturing, and global market expansion.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bedford, MA, Lexington Medical designs and manufactures high-performance endoscopic stapling devices, which are proudly made in the USA and used in a wide range of surgical procedures. With international offices in Switzerland, Australia, Germany, and the UK, and a team of approximately 150 employees, Lexington has built a patented portfolio of over 40 SKUs that are trusted by surgeons in more than 35 countries. Its flagship AEON™ and AEON™ Powered Stapling platforms are recognized as the most advanced stapling platforms available, featuring proprietary technologies that deliver superior clinical outcomes.

“The investment from Ampersand is a testament to Lexington’s impressive growth and strategic vision,” said Leon Amariglio, Founder and CEO of Lexington Medical. “This investment will expedite our innovation pipeline, expand our global reach, and create new opportunities for talented professionals to join us in shaping the future of surgical care, all while maintaining our commitment to best-in-class quality control and US manufacturing.”

“Lexington is an impressive company with a strong culture of innovation, exceptional leadership, and a commitment to quality and performance that is unmatched” said Trevor Wahlbrink, General Partner at Ampersand. “We are excited to partner with Leon and his team to further strengthen their position in surgical stapling.”

This partnership comes at a pivotal time as Lexington Medical expands its world-class team to meet the growing demand for its stapling solutions. Interested candidates and collaborators are invited to visit www.lexington-med.com/careers or contact careers@lexington-med.com to learn more about career and partnership opportunities.

About Lexington Medical

Founded in 2013, Lexington Medical, Inc. is a rapidly growing Bedford, Massachusetts-based company disrupting minimally invasive surgical stapling. Its AEON™ Endostapler sets the standard for precision, performance and clinical outcomes, trusted by surgeons in over 35 countries. Rooted in an engineering driven and talent-dense, collaborative culture, Lexington drives continuous innovation through U.S.-based design and manufacturing, working closely with leading surgeons to enhance patient outcomes. Learn more at www.lexington-med.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Ampersand Capital Partners

Ampersand Capital Partners, founded in 1988, is a middle-market private equity firm with $3 billion of assets under management, dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm’s core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit AmpersandCapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

BURLINGTON, Mass. – April 8, 2025 – HealthEdge, a leader in healthcare technology solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Bain Capital. The investment is being made by Bain Capital’s Private Equity team. Financial terms of the private purchase from funds managed by Blackstone were not disclosed.

Founded in 2005, and headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, HealthEdge is a next-generation SaaS platform that connects health plans, providers, and patients with a suite of end-to-end digital solutions to automate operations, reduce administrative costs and improve overall health outcomes. HealthEdge currently serves over 115 health plans representing more than 110 million covered member lives across the U.S. Its best-in-class solutions and administrative processing systems have earned the Company repeated recognition from leading market analysts.

“We are pleased to welcome Bain Capital as our new partner as we embark on our next chapter of growth and innovation,” said Steve Krupa, CEO of HealthEdge. “We believe we are well-positioned to achieve our vision of being the long-term partner of choice for health plans as we continue to create deeper integrations between our solutions, which support health plans through claims processing, care management, and member engagement. We are thankful for Blackstone’s support over the last five years and look forward to working with Bain Capital as we remain committed to implementing solutions that will redefine the future of healthcare.”

“HealthEdge is enabling health plans to transition towards a modern tech ecosystem via its cloud-based claims adjudication software and complementary suite of value-added solutions. In a world of growing operational complexity, we believe that HealthEdge can streamline operations, improve care delivery, and increase engagement among healthcare payers, provider, and patients,” said Devin O’Reilly and Paul Moskowitz, Partners at Bain Capital. “The HealthEdge Solutions Suite is a mission-critical system that sits at the heart of the health plan tech stack in one of the most complex HCIT ecosystems we’ve seen. We believe HealthEdge can be a driving force for GenAI enablement at health plans, and we look forward to partnering with the management in the next phase of growth.”

“We are proud to have been part of HealthEdge’s journey over the last five years, partnering with management to evolve the business from an emerging modern software solution for payors to a mission-critical platform of high-value technologies for payors, caregivers, and patients,” said Ram M. Jagannath and Anushka M. Sunder, Senior Managing Directors at Blackstone. “Over the course of our investment, Blackstone partnered with HealthEdge to innovate new solutions, acquire and integrate strategically important software solutions, drive sustained growth, and build a comprehensive technology platform to address challenges across the American healthcare ecosystem. It has been a pleasure driving this phase of the transformation, and we wish Steve, the entire management team, and Bain Capital continued success in driving HealthEdge’s next chapter of strategic growth.”

The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

TripleTree is acting as lead financial advisor, Kirkland & Ellis as legal counsel, and Ares Management as lead financing partner to Bain Capital. Evercore and UBS Investment Bank are acting as financial advisors, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett as legal counsel to Blackstone.
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About HealthEdge
HealthEdge® is building a future without limits for health plans, where they can deliver better service and care, make more informed decisions and streamline operations. Through an integrated platform of solutions for core administration (HealthRules® Payer), payment accuracy (HealthEdge Source™), provider network management (HealthEdge Provider Data Management), care management (GuidingCare®) and member experience (Wellframe™), health plans can converge their data and harness
automation to drive more informed decisions, improve touchless transaction processing and payment accuracy, foster meaningful collaboration and enhance service and care delivery. HealthEdge is trusted by over 115 health plans covering more than 110 million member lives across the U.S. See what it means to converge without limits at HealthEdge.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Bain Capital  
Founded in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world’s leading private investment firms. We are committed to creating lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. As a private partnership, we lead with conviction and a culture of collaboration, advantages that enable us to innovate investment approaches, unlock opportunities, and create exceptional outcomes. Our global platform invests across five focus areas: Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit & Capital Markets, and Real Assets. In these focus areas, we bring deep sector expertise and wide-ranging capabilities. We have 24 offices on four continents, more than 1,850 employees, and approximately $185 billion in assets under management. To learn more, visit www.baincapital.com. Follow @BainCapital on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1.1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries, and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Media Contacts

• inancing led by new investor Bain Capital with participation from new investor Wellington Management and all existing investors
• Proceeds to support advancement of ATSN-201 through potential approval and launch as well as preclinical programs to treat inherited retinal diseases
• Norbert Riedel, PhD, will join Atsena’s Board of Directors

DURHAM, NC, April 2, 2025 – Atsena Therapeutics (“Atsena” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on bringing the life-changing power of genetic medicine to reverse or prevent blindness, today announced the successful close of an oversubscribed $150 million Series C financing. The financing was led by Bain Capital’s Life Sciences team, with participation from an additional new investor, Wellington Management. All the Company’s existing investors also participated in the round, including Lightstone Ventures, Sofinnova Investments, Abingworth, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Hatteras Venture Partners, Osage University Partners, and the Manning Family Foundation.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance Atsena’s lead program, ATSN-201, for the treatment of X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), a genetic condition that is typically diagnosed in childhood and leads to blindness later in life. The proceeds will also support Atsena’s preclinical pipeline of first-in-class therapies and expand the use of Atsena’s novel spreading AAV.SPR capsid.

“Closing our Series C marks a pivotal moment for Atsena as we advance our transformative ocular gene therapies and fuel our next phase of growth, innovation, and clinical progress,” said Patrick Ritschel, Chief Executive Officer of Atsena Therapeutics. “It follows a productive 12 months of key achievements including securing a partner to advance ATSN-101 to a global pivotal trial for Leber Congenital Amaurosis type 1 (LCA1) and initiating Part B of the ATSN-201 LIGHTHOUSE study for XLRS. We’re grateful for the support of our investors and partners who share our vision for the future of leveraging genetic medicine to reverse or prevent blindness.”

To date, Atsena’s clinical portfolio has received multiple designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ATSN-101, for the treatment of LCA1, has received Rare Pediatric Disease designation, Orphan Drug Designation, and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation. ATSN-201 has been granted Fast Track, Rare Pediatric Disease, and Orphan Drug Designations. Updated data from the ongoing LIGHTHOUSE Phase I/II clinical trial evaluating ATSN-201 is anticipated later this year.

“We believe Atsena has a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful impact for patients with inherited retinal diseases on the basis of novel science and impressive clinical data generated to date,” said Amir Zamani, a Partner at Bain Capital Life Sciences. “We look forward to supporting Patrick and his strong team as they look to unlock the next phase of Atsena’s growth and innovation while thoughtfully advancing potentially groundbreaking therapies toward patients in need.”

In conjunction with the financing, Norbert Riedel, PhD, a seasoned scientist and biopharmaceutical executive, will join Atsena’s Board of Directors.

Wedbush & Co. served as exclusive placement agent to Atsena for the Series C financing, Cooley LLP acted as its legal advisor.

About Atsena Therapeutics
Atsena Therapeutics (“Atsena”) is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing best-in-class treatments for the reversal or prevention of blindness from inherited retinal diseases. The company’s lead program is evaluating ATSN-201 in an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial for X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), a genetic condition that is typically diagnosed in childhood and leads to blindness later in life. ATSN-101, Atsena’s first-in-class, investigational gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis type 1 (LCA1) has completed a Phase 1 / 2 trial with positive results (https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01447-8). Atsena is advancing ATSN-101 toward the initiation of a global pivotal trial as part of its exclusive strategic collaboration with Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. Atsena’s pipeline is powered by novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology tailored to overcome the hurdles presented by inherited retinal diseases. Founded by pioneers in ocular gene therapy, Atsena is led by an experienced team dedicated to addressing the needs of patients with vision loss. For more information, please visit https://atsenatx.com/.

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