PPD Repeats as Best CRO at World ADC Awards for Advancing Cancer Research

WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), has been named Best CRO Provider for the second time in the last three years at the World ADC Awards. This recognition affirms the excellence and dedication of PPD^® Laboratories professionals in helping advance clients’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research to develop new anticancer therapies.

ADCs are complex biotherapeutic molecules that combine monoclonal antibodies with an attached payload of highly potent cytotoxic drugs. They are designed to target and destroy cancer tumor cells with high specificity and efficiency, while minimally impacting healthy cells.

PPD Laboratories offers comprehensive services across its chromatography/mass spectrometry and immunochemistry teams, assisting ADC development since 2009. PPD’s immunochemistry department supports more than 57 ADC methods and the chromatography department supports over 150 methods.

“Our bioanalytical lab has completed more than 2,500 studies over the last five years, enabling us to assist our clients’ efforts to develop new medicines that improve health by providing them with important pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and immunogenicity data,” said Christopher Fikry, M.D., executive vice president of PPD Laboratories. “PPD Laboratories’ talented teams are driven to progress ADC research and help clients succeed in combating cancer.”

PPD Laboratories’ scientists have extensive experience in bioanalytical testing utilizing diverse measurement technologies, including immunochemistry, chromatography-mass spectrometry, cell-based assays, flow cytometry and molecular genomics. PPD’s expertise includes small molecules, biologics, vaccines and biomarkers across a wide variety of therapeutic areas. In oncology, PPD Laboratories performed the bioanalysis on five of the six ADCs currently approved by the FDA and helped develop 19 of the 20 top-selling cancer therapies of 2018.

In addition to its bioanalytical services, PPD Laboratories provides chemistry, manufacturing and control analytical method development/validation and testing for ADC products. The company’s GMP lab has in-house expertise and analytical equipment for characterization, release and stability of ADC candidates at various stages of development and manufacturing. GMP assays are used to determine drug-antibody ratio (DAR), free drug content, ADC affinity, aggregation, peptide mapping and cell-based potency.

PPD Laboratories maintains two bioanalytical labs in the U.S. in Richmond, Va., and Middleton, Wis., and two GMP labs in Middleton and Athlone, Ireland. The company is currently expanding its operations in Richmond and Middleton. PPD Laboratories operations also include central labs in Brussels, Belgium; Highland Heights, Kentucky; Shanghai, China; and Singapore; biomarker labs in Brussels, Highland Heights, Richmond, Shanghai and Singapore; and a vaccine sciences lab in Richmond. With more than 850,000 square feet of laboratory space, PPD Laboratories is one of the largest CRO labs globally.

The sixth-annual World ADC Awards, which recognize distinction within ADC research, were held Oct. 10 in conjunction with the 10th annual World ADC San Diego Conference.

About PPD

PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing comprehensive, integrated drug development, laboratory 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 22,000 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a firm commitment to quality to help clients and partners bend the cost and time curve of drug development and optimize value in delivering life-changing therapies to improve health. For more information, visit www.ppdi.com.

About PPD Laboratories

PPD Laboratories combines award-winning scientific expertise with advanced technologies supported by a commitment to exceptional quality. Our clients benefit from comprehensive lab services spanning bioanalytical, biomarkers, central lab, GMP, vaccine sciences and advanced biostatistics. Our laboratory services accelerate pharmaceutical development for small molecules, biologics and vaccines, allowing our clients to make faster decisions about their compounds.

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