PPD Expanding Bioanalytical Laboratory Capabilities

Pharmaceutical Product Development PPD is expanding its bioanalytical laboratory in Richmond, VA, which will enhance its immunochemistry, biomarker, and chromatography services, the company announced on Sept. 19, 2019. 

The company anticipates adding some 200 new positions as a result of its continuing expansion at the bioanalytical lab. Ongoing investments in its Richmond facilities have included significant previous enhancements to its vaccine sciences, biomarker, genomics, and automation services. The current expansion includes growing the lab’s immunochemistry and biomarker space by 8,000 ft2, which will be used for both biomarker lab capacity and a dedicated lab team for one of PPD’s global biopharmaceutical clients.

Additionally, the company plans to begin the process of adding 30,000 ft2 of space dedicated to chromatography services in September 2019. This step will enable PPD to design and build a state-of-the-art facility focusing on modern mass spectrometry and automation and offering a layout optimized for the bioanalysis of complex molecules, such as antibody-drug conjugates, and advanced biotherapeutics, such as cell and gene therapies. Work is also scheduled to begin in the same month to create a 4500-ft2 cell lab. In addition, earlier this year the company completed an 8600-ft2 expansion to its sample management and biorepository offerings.

“The ongoing expansion of our bioanalytical lab-coupled with previous enhancements to our biologics capabilities-builds on the growth of our drug development expertise over the past three decades to the point that we now support pharmaceutical programs from preclinical through post-approval,” said Christopher Fikry, MD, executive vice-president of PPD Laboratories, in a company press release. “These additions-which we are thankful Virginia and Henrico County officials have welcomed and supported-will enable us to more effectively and efficiently respond to the growing needs of our customers as they seek to deliver more life-changing therapies. We’re confident these enhancements will enable us to continue our record of success with our customers.”

The Richmond bioanalytical lab provides services such as small-molecule, biologics, vaccines, and biomarker testing capabilities for all phases of drug development. Specific drug testing services offered at the lab include drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), immunogenicity, and biomarker quantitation to support drug efficacy and safety.

In addition to the bioanalytical, biomarker, and vaccine sciences labs in Richmond, PPD Laboratories includes a bioanalytical lab in Middleton, WI; GMP labs in Athlone, Ireland, and Middleton; central labs in Shanghai, China, Brussels, Belgium, Highland Heights, KY, and Singapore; and a biomarker lab in Highland Heights.

Source: Pharmaceutical Product Development