EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND & WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Scottish government and Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) today announced a unique alliance designed to increase the amount of clinical research conducted in Scotland, accelerate the development of new medical therapies and enhance health care treatment options for the people of Scotland.
The alliance between PPD and NHS Research Scotland (NRS) advances the long-standing relationship linking the leading global contract research organization and the Scottish government.
PPD will work closely with the major health boards across Scotland to further reduce study start-up times, streamline regulatory approval processes, increase the number of patients recruited for clinical trials and ensure the availability of resources and training to increase the number of physicians and support staff conducting research.
The initiative covers a broad range of Phase I-III trials across multiple therapeutic areas, as well as biosimilar and post-approval studies. A significant percentage of Scotland’s 5.3 million people have participated in a clinical trial, and Scotland has a high incidence and prevalence of diseases in key therapeutic areas of focus in clinical research.
Key focus areas for the Scottish government include cardiovascular disease, dermatology, gastrointestinal disease, infectious disease, inflammation/immunology, metabolic disease, neuroscience, oncology, ophthalmology, psychiatry, respiratory disease, stroke, tissue research and women's health.
NRS is a partnership between the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates and NHSScotland, part of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Its aim is to ensure that NHSScotland provides a world-class environment for clinical research.
“We are pleased to build on our relationship with PPD to advance our mission of securing lasting improvements to the health of the people of Scotland,” said Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon. “This initiative will further Scotland’s growing reputation as a global center of excellence for clinical research, offering a significant number of world-leading research sites and clinical investigators with expertise across a wide range of disease indications.”
PPD’s team of more than 300 professionals in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, offers expertise in clinical management, data management, project management, pharmacovigilance, biostatistics and quality assurance.
“Scotland’s intellectual and technical resources, coupled with recent advances in streamlining processes for conducting clinical research, make Scotland an extremely attractive location for clinical research,” said Roger Newbery, Ph.D., PPD’s vice president of clinical management for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The population’s high participation rate in clinical trials and our new collaboration should enable us to assist our clients in accelerating their important research programs in Scotland.”
About NHS Research Scotland (NRS)
NRS is a partnership between the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates and NHSScotland. Its aim is to ensure that NHSScotland provides a world-class environment for clinical research. NRS is now attracting recognition for its achievements and business-like approach, including sustained permissions performance matching the best in Europe. Focus is now shifting to delivery of other key areas, such as recruitment to target.
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.