PPD is opening offices in Manila, Philippines, and Bangalore, India, to expand its Phase II–IV development services in response to growing client demand in Asia Pacific. The offices position the company to capitalize on the growth of the outsourcing market in Asia Pacific.
“With 90 million people living in the Philippines and more than 20 million in Manila, there is enthusiasm for local expansion and involvement in clinical trials,” says Lesley Gerrard, director of clinical management in PPD’s Melbourne office. “The recent opening of the Manila office demonstrates PPD’s commitment to the growth and development of emerging markets in Southeast Asia and to further exploration of the opportunities that exist within this region.”
Denzel Benjamin, director of clinical management in PPD’s Bangalore office, adds, “India is expected to conduct nearly five percent of global trials by 2010, and the opening of our Bangalore office advances our plans for expansion in India. This office provides us easy access to all of our sites across south India, which means cost savings for our clients and greater efficiencies for PPD.”
PPD services range from discovery and development to post-approval as well as compound partnering programs. It reportedly has offices in 40 countries and more than 10,500 professionals worldwide.
The company has been aggressively expanding in Asia since the end of 2008 but has had an office in Beijing since 2003. In 2008, the company signed an exclusive agreement with Peking Union Lawke Biomedical Development. In September 2009, it opened a new facility in Singapore to enhance already established services in that country and allow cross-validation of offerings with its other labs. In October 2009, it picked up Excel, a contract research organizations in China. A month later it acquired BioDuro, a drug discovery outsourcing company based in China.