PPD and Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN) Announce Strategic Alliance in Allergic Diseases

Supports PPD’s strategy to establish collaborations across a wide range of therapeutic areas

WILMINGTON, N.C., & BERLIN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) and the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network e.V. (GA²LEN) today announced a strategic alliance in which GA²LEN will provide PPD access to the network’s allergy and asthma experts and to more than 100 allergy and asthma sites in Europe.

“The large size of this network, coupled with its extensive scientific expertise, strengthens our capabilities as a full development respiratory partner by increasing our ability to recruit sites and patients into allergy and asthma trials.”

In return, the alliance will enable GA²LEN to increase the amount of research it conducts in allergic diseases, as well as provide the network with earlier access to new medical therapies to help accelerate their development. The alliance enhances GA²LEN’s role in providing health care treatment options for people affected by allergic diseases.

“This agreement supports our strategy to establish collaborations across a wide range of therapeutic areas,” said Paul Colvin, executive vice president of global clinical development for PPD. “The large size of this network, coupled with its extensive scientific expertise, strengthens our capabilities as a full development respiratory partner by increasing our ability to recruit sites and patients into allergy and asthma trials.”

PPD and GA²LEN will work to reduce allergy and asthma study start-up times, 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.

“Allergies and asthma are Europe’s most common chronic diseases, and their prevalence is growing,” said Professor Torsten Zuberbier, secretary general for GA²LEN. “As a consortium of more than 100 leading European partners and multidisciplinary research centers specializing in allergic diseases, we conduct wide-ranging studies across Europe involving patients who face varying environmental and lifestyle impacts. This alliance with PPD builds our reputation as a leader in allergy and asthma treatment, as we will better understand the evolution and development of allergic diseases and how to treat them more effectively.”

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 46 countries and more than 12,000 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.

About GA²LEN

GA²LEN is a multidisciplinary research network addressing all aspects of allergic diseases with a view to reducing the burden of allergy and asthma. GA²LEN aims to enhance the quality and relevance of European research and disseminate best practice and knowledge to health professionals, patients and policy makers. Understanding factors and mechanisms of allergic diseases will contribute to developing better health care and improving the quality of life of more than 80 million Europeans with allergies.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including statements, expectations and assumptions about the alliance between PPD and GA²LEN, 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 that could cause future results to differ materially include the following: risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; rapid technological advances that make our services less competitive; competition in the outsourcing industry; overall global economic conditions; economic conditions, research and development spending, and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and government-sponsored research sectors; consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; 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; the ability to control SG&A spending; the ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel, including our new chairman and CEO; compliance with drug development regulations; and changes in the regulation of the drug development process. 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.