Broadens company's global central laboratory services in infectious diseases to meet growing client need

WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PPD, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPDI) today announced it has expanded its clinical microbiology laboratory at its global central laboratories worldwide, strengthening its laboratory testing services in infectious diseases, one of the largest therapeutic areas for clinical research and development.

PPD can now offer clients a full range of microbiology testing services such as bacteriology, mycobacteriology and testing of microbioterrorism pathogens. The laboratory also provides extensive virology testing, including real-time polymerase chain reaction, viral load, genotyping and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. The laboratory has the capability to culture, quantitate, identify and determine antibiotic susceptibility and resistance for aerobic and anaerobic organisms. PPD is already running studies for staphylococcal and yeast infections and for the presumptive identification and quantification of microbiota.

"Microbiology is an important component of laboratory testing for infectious diseases," said Elena Logan, senior vice president of global central labs for PPD. "Strengthening our microbiology capabilities demonstrates PPD's commitment to deliver a full range of high quality global central laboratory services and builds on our fully integrated clinical research and development expertise across all areas of infectious diseases."

PPD offers a flexible approach to microbiology testing, performing disk diffusion and/or broth dilution assays to establish antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentration and breakpoints. Since infectious disease treatments being tested are not yet on the market, a diagnostic microbiology laboratory in a hospital relying solely on an automated platform may not have the flexibility needed to perform the required antibiotic sensitive testing.

PPD brings 23 years of global central laboratory expertise to biopharmaceutical companies. In addition to its laboratory in Highland Heights, Ky., the company operates central laboratories in Brussels, Belgium; Singapore; and Beijing, China.

About PPD

PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development and lifecycle management services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 44 countries and more than 11,000 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a commitment to quality to help clients and partners accelerate the delivery of safe and effective therapeutics and maximize the returns on their R&D investments. For more information, visit www.ppdi.com.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including expectations and assumptions about the expansion of clinical microbiology laboratory services at PPD's global central labs, contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although PPD attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based and could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other important factors which could cause future results to differ materially include the following: rapid technological advances that make our services less competitive; competition in the outsourcing industry; overall global economic conditions; economic conditions and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and government-sponsored research sectors; consolidation in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; the ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel; compliance with drug development regulations; changes in the regulation of the drug development process; risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; PPD's ability to win new business; loss, delay or modification of large contracts; higher-than-expected cancellation rates; the rate of conversion of backlog into revenue; actual operating performance; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; risks associated with acquisitions and investments, such as impairments and integration; risks associated with fixed price contracts and cost overruns; compliance with drug development regulations; changes in the regulation of the drug development process; and the ability to control SG&A spending. These and other PPD risk factors are set forth in more detail from time to time in our SEC filings, copies of which are available free of charge upon request from PPD's investor relations department. PPD assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing PPD's estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

Contacts

PPD, Inc.
Media:
Sue Ann Pentecost, 919-456-5890
sueann.pentecost@ppdi.com
or
Analysts/Investors:
Luke Heagle, 910-558-7585
luke.heagle@ppdi.com