PPD has signed a deal with a German hospital to help bring more clinical trials to the country, agreeing to lend its global reach and help lure drug developers.
Under the deal, PPD is teaming up with Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin's clinical trials management unit in an effort to shorten study startup times, boost patient recruitment and train site staff, the company said. The agreement covers Phase I-IV trials in multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, cardiovascular and neurology, according to PPD.
The hospital operates more than 100 clinics across four campuses around Germany, giving it the scale and resources sponsors are looking for when planning clinical trials, PPD said.
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| Roger Newbery--Courtesy of PPD |
"Germany's abundance of intellectual and technical resources, coupled with the ongoing advances that have streamlined the clinical research process, make the country extremely attractive for clinical research," PPD EMEA Vice President Roger Newbery said in a statement. "We welcome the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with a world-class treatment facility that is one of our most experienced and most frequently used clinical research sites globally. Likewise, we are pleased to enhance our support for our clients in expanding their research programs in Germany and around the world."
For Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the deal is a chance to leverage PPD's capabilities and boost its international reputation, along with that of its home country, Executive Director Gerrit Fleige said.
The privately held PPD has long looked to global expansion to grow its share of the CRO market, employing more than 13,000 people across 46 countries. Before Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman took it off the public markets in a $3.9 billion acquisition in 2011, the company reported annual revenue of around $1.6 billion.
- read the statement