PPD opens contract research operation in Ireland
PPD has officially opened its contract research facility in Athlone, Ireland.
PPD has officially opened its contract research facility in Athlone, Ireland, which includes a 1,700m2 analytical testing laboratory and clinical supplies business.
The US CRO is investing US$19m (Euro 14m) at the facility to improve its scientific expertise, laboratory capacity and supplies network to meet growing demand for services in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The company has hired 21 people in Athlone so far and plans to create approximately 250 jobs at the laboratory to include scientists, analytical laboratory staff and other clinical development professionals.
PPD will offer fully integrated product and analytical development services from the Irish site, including method development, validation, stability, release and quality control testing. Global clinical supplies services, including secondary packing, labelling and storage, will also be offered.
In addition, the facility will provide regulatory services, product licensing and marketed product support, including qualified person (QP) services for all drug dosage forms, with particular emphasis on inhalation and biopharmaceutical products.
The cGMP analytical laboratory will conduct testing for clinical programmes and marketed products spanning all phases of drug development.
"Expanding our laboratory operations into Europe enables us to continue to deliver on our strong history of providing quality work and customer service to our growing client base in this region," said Magdalena Mejillano, vice president of laboratory services, PPD.
"The Irish government, through IDA Ireland, has provided us with strong support, and we continue to benefit from Ireland's highly skilled workforce."
"PPD's decision to locate its world-class operations in Ireland is of great significance to this region and our country," said Ireland's Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, at the opening.
PPD has applied to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) for manufacturer licences to support both investigational medicinal and marketed products and laboratory certifications for quality control of medicinal products.
As of 1 March, PPD's applications have been assessed and the quality system and premises inspected by the IMB.