PPD Signs Agreement to use Tessella and Berry Consultants' Adaptive Trial Design Software

FACTSTM software enhances PPD's ability to deliver time- and cost-savings for clients

WILMINGTON, N.C., & NEWTON, Mass.--()--Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) has signed a license agreement to use Tessella and Berry Consultants' FACTSTM software to create a more flexible, intuitive approach for designing both adaptive and fixed trials. The software expands PPD's adaptive design capabilities by giving biopharmaceutical companies greater ability to use extensive simulations to investigate various study design options. These simulations are particularly useful for adaptive designs, where different options are available for making adjustments to an ongoing trial based on a set of pre-specified conditions, but they also can be used with fixed designs.

"The new functionality and features in FACTS support PPD's goal of continuing to strengthen its adaptive design capabilities. The company's decision to utilize this software is an important step in its efforts to create powerful, efficient designs for its clients, and it reflects the ongoing collaboration we share with PPD."

The software, developed by Tessella and Berry Consultants, is comprised of a suite of programs that has built-in facilities for simulating interim and final patient responses, patient dropouts and patient accrual. FACTS provides a range of options for replicating both simple and complex designs, and it enables PPD to run clinical trial simulations on certain characteristics of competing designs, enhancing the company's ability to deliver time- and cost-savings for clients.

"FACTS is a powerful tool that will enhance our ability to deliver flexible, efficient adaptive trial designs for our clients in less time than we could previously," said Susan Atkinson, Ph.D., PPD's senior vice president of global biometrics. "The simulations generated by this software will help us create richer designs so that our clients can make better informed decisions about their trials. This agreement also demonstrates our commitment to enhancing our position as a leader in adaptive trial design among full-service contract research organizations."

Grant Stephen, CEO of Tessella, added, "We are honored that a leading global contract research organization such as PPD is using our FACTS software to expand its adaptive trial design capabilities. FACTS provides a low-risk, end-to-end solution for PPD to employ innovative trial designs that optimize drug development programs for its clients."

This agreement follows a collaboration that PPD entered into with Berry Consultants last year in Bayesian design and analysis, areas of adaptive trial design that have brought significant changes to how clinical research is conducted.

Scott Berry, president and senior statistical scientist at Berry Consultants, noted, "The new functionality and features in FACTS support PPD's goal of continuing to strengthen its adaptive design capabilities. The company's decision to utilize this software is an important step in its efforts to create powerful, efficient designs for its clients, and it reflects the ongoing collaboration we share with PPD."

Adaptive trials incorporate a variety of design approaches to carry out a clinical development program. Adaptive designs use accruing data to change the trial as it proceeds, which offers the opportunity to leverage preliminary data to decide whether to stop a study early or change a design element within the study to increase its chance of success.

Adaptive trial design is a practice area within PPD® Consulting, which was established last year to deliver consultative services to address significant regulatory and market challenges.

About PPD

PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development and lifecycle management services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 46 countries and more than 12,000 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a commitment to quality to help clients and partners accelerate the delivery of safe and effective therapeutics and maximize the returns on their R&D investments. For more information, visit www.ppdi.com.

About Tessella

Founded in 1980, Tessella is an international provider of science-powered technology and consulting services. The company offers a unique blend of science, engineering and sector expertise to deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions to complex real-world commercial and technical challenges. Tessella is supported by high-achieving professionals from leading universities who are passionate about delivering value to clients. For more information, visit www.smarterclinicaltrials.com.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including statements, expectations and assumptions about PPD's agreement with Tessella to license its FACTS software, contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although PPD attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based and could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause future results to differ materially include the following: risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; rapid technological advances that make our services less competitive; competition in the outsourcing industry; compliance with drug development regulations; PPD's ability to win new business; overall global economic conditions; economic conditions, research and development spending, and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and government-sponsored research sectors; consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; loss, delay or modification of large contracts; higher-than-expected cancellation rates; the rate of conversion of backlog into revenue; actual operating performance; the ability to control SG&A spending; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; the ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel, including our new chairman and CEO; and changes in the regulation of the drug development process. PPD assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing PPD's estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

Contacts

PPD
Media:
Randy Buckwalter, +1 919-456-4425
[email protected]
or
Investors:
Luke Heagle, +1 910-558-7585
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or
Tessella
Media:
Christina Tealdi, +44 (0) 1235 546638
[email protected]