Inotiv, a pharmaceutical research company based in Indiana, has confirmed that it suffered a ransomware attack earlier this month, impacting parts of its operations and internal systems.

According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the attack was detected on August 8. Hackers gained unauthorized access to Inotiv’s network and encrypted several internal systems and databases, limiting access to applications used for day-to-day business processes.

To mitigate the incident, Inotiv temporarily took some systems offline and implemented manual workarounds while bringing in external cybersecurity experts to assist with the investigation. Law enforcement has been notified, but the company has not provided a timeline for full system recovery.

Qilin Ransomware Gang Takes Credit

The ransomware group Qilin claimed responsibility for the attack on August 11, adding Inotiv to its leak site. According to the group, they exfiltrated nearly 176 GB of data (approximately 162,000 files), including:

• Financial records
• Research contracts
• Purchase orders
• Employee information

Qilin also published a small sample of files to demonstrate the data theft.

“Encrypting core internal systems and stealing hundreds of gigabytes of proprietary research data poses a serious risk to both operational continuity and intellectual property,” said Ensar Seker, CISO at SOCRadar.

Implications for the Healthcare Research Sector

Experts warn that attacks like this can have wider consequences beyond the targeted company. Rebecca Moody, head of data research at Comparitech, explained:

“Companies in the healthcare research sector, even if they don’t provide direct patient care, often handle large datasets and collaborate with multiple organizations. A breach at one firm can therefore have far-reaching effects across the industry.”

In 2025 alone, 19 similar attacks have been reported worldwide, compromising over 6 million records. In 2024, there were 51 attacks of this type, including the well-known Change Healthcare breach.

“As ransomware groups continue to focus on both data theft and system encryption, companies like Inotiv remain high-value targets. Employees and partners should remain vigilant for phishing attempts and monitor accounts for suspicious activity,” Moody added.

Current Status

Inotiv employs around 2,000 people and reported revenues exceeding $490 million last year. The company anticipates that operational disruptions from the ransomware attack will persist for some time, while investigators work to secure and restore affected systems.

Efforts to contact Inotiv for comment have so far been unsuccessful.

Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/pharma-inotiv-confirms-ransomware