News Summary

• Irish clinical trials firm Icon says a probe into some of its accounting practices and controls has been concluded and that the financial impact isn't as bad as had been predicted.
• Its shares have soared almost 12pc in pre-market trading in New York.
• However, it has not yet revealed the material weaknesses in its controls that have been identified or the remediation plans to address them.
• Icon has a large number of trials under way for client firms, including those to address diseases such as diabetes, chronic inflammation of the brain, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.