PPD Expands Bioanalytical Laboratory Capabilities

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD), is expanding its bioanalytical laboratory in Richmond, Virginia, enhancing its ability to provide capabilities to meet biopharmaceutical clients’ increasing research needs.

The expansion of the lab’s immunochemistry, biomarker and chromatography services builds on PPD’s ongoing investments in its Richmond facilities, which also 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 square feet, which will be used for both biomarker lab capacity and a lab team for one of PPD’s global biopharmaceutical clients.

The company anticipates adding some 200 new positions as a result of its continuing expansion at the bioanalytical lab. PPD Laboratories’ operation in Richmond, elements of which have been in operation since 1985, currently totals more than 250,000 square feet. Today, the lab employs more than 1,000 people, including PhD-level scientists, analytical laboratory staff and other scientific professionals.

Additionally, this month the company plans to begin the process of adding 30,000 square feet of space dedicated to chromatography services. This step will enable PPD to design and build a 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 also is scheduled to begin this month to create a 4,500-square-foot cell lab. This summer, PPD completed the move of administrative staff into 36,000 square feet at One Holland Place. And, earlier this year the company completed an 8,600-square-foot 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, M.D., executive vice president of PPD Laboratories. “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, Wisconsin; GMP (good manufacturing practices) labs in Athlone, Ireland, and Middleton; central labs in Shanghai, China; Brussels, Belgium; Highland Heights, Kentucky; and Singapore; and a biomarker lab in Highland Heights.