CRO

PPD expands lab space, staffing at Ireland facility

PPD has expanded its GMP lab operations in Athlone, Ireland, by another 4,300 square feet to conduct analytical testing of biopharma products and inhalation devices.

The CRO’s Athlone facility--which now stands at 41,500 square feet--has been providing services through the life cycle of pharmaceutical product development, including analytical and stability testing, method development and validation, regulatory services, product licensing and marketed product support. It's licensed by Ireland's Health Products Regulatory Authority.

PPD's expansion is part of the North Carolina-based company’s recent effort to bolster its lab capacity. This summer, it completed its acquisition of Evidera, a provider of evidence-based solutions in examining effectiveness of new drugs.

The Athlone lab opened in 2010 and will employ about 200 people after completion of the latest expansion. PPD also offers the same set of services in the U.S. through another GMP lab in Middleton, WI. The two locations together house more than 1,300 employees.

As the company’s website shows, it employs about 18,500 people globally after the Evidera buy. Besides the above two locations, it also operates labs of different functions in Shanghai, Brussels, Highland Heights, KY, and Richmond, VA.