(Wilmington, N.C.) PPD, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPDI) today announced several of its experts will speak at the 19th annual Partnerships in Clinical Trials 2010 Conference in Orlando, Fla., on April 12-14. As a keynote presenter, Bill Sharbaugh, chief operating officer of PPD, will discuss considerations for achieving and maintaining an ideal drug development partnership.

Mr. Sharbaugh will be joined by Mitchell Katz, Ph.D., vice president, global clinical operations of Eisai Inc. They will discuss the open exchange among pharmaceutical companies and CROs related to partnering opportunities, offer their perspectives on what constitutes an ideal partnership and explore changes needed to achieving an ideal partnership. The presentation is Tuesday, April 13, at 12 p.m. ET.

In addition to Mr. Sharbaugh’s presentation, PPD leaders will moderate, present or participate on the following panels:

Monday, April 12

•Provider Selection and The Request for Proposal (RFP) Process—1 p.m. ET
Pharmaceutical and CRO panel participants will address the basics of outsourcing from targeted request for information (RFI) preparation to selecting vendors for a request for proposal (RFP) and how to conduct a face-to-face proposal defense meeting. Presenters will also discuss vendor selection, building and maintaining successful relationships, and managing project expectations and oversight of CROs. Cindy Markham, executive director, business development, is presenting on this panel.
Tuesday, April 13

•Reducing Risk in Early Clinical Development with Bioanalytical and Biomarker Technology—-4 p.m. ET
This session will explore how selection and evaluation of biomarkers in early drug development can significantly shorten the time required to reach critical decision points on items such as proof of concept (POC), dosing, candidate selection, development risks and more. Panelists will discuss accelerating proof of concept, building early decision points based on data, and translational medicine and biomarkers. Mike Davenport, senior director, clinical pharmacology, is participating in the session.
Wednesday, April 14

•New Era of Privacy Concerns for Drug Development: Business Implications for Sponsors and CROs—3 p.m. ET
This session provides insights on new data privacy restrictions resulting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in early 2009 and the impact on clinical research companies. Session leaders will address new privacy regulations and discuss possible changes in business practices as a result of new regulations. This panel includes Carl deMoor, senior director, epidemiology/pharmacovigilance.
The Partnerships in Clinical Trials conference provides a forum for professionals to explore critical issues and decisions around clinical trials outsourcing and to share strategies for maximizing efficiency and maintaining quality of clinical trials. PPD is a platinum sponsor of this year’s event. For more information about presentations and panels, visit PPD at booth 417 throughout the conference.

PPD is a leading global contract research organization, celebrating 25 years of providing drug discovery, development and lifecycle management services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 41 countries and more than 10,500 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.