PPD Opens New Vaccines & Biologics Center Of Excellence

PPD said that the center augments its scientific and biologics drug development expertise with facilities, processes and instrumentation to help clients realise the scientific standards for their programs with a focus on cost efficiencies.

The new center is expected to offer comprehensive laboratory services to support development of products such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, peptides, protein-drug conjugates and other biologics.

Additionally, the integration of vaccine testing, bioanalytical, cGMP and global central lab services will offer biopharmaceutical companies the opportunity to streamline and customise laboratory services for their biologics portfolios.

PPD has developed new technologies and assays to expand its vaccine testing services into the area of oncology vaccines in addition to provide comprehensive concurrent use testing for investigational pediatric and adolescent vaccine programs.

Furthermore, the center is also expected to allow PPD to bring its clinical trials expertise across multiple areas, the significant being data management.

PPD’s Vaccines & Biologics Center of Excellence builds upon the strategic collaboration PPD established with Merck involving vaccine testing and assay development.

Christine Dingivan, chief medical officer at PPD, said: “With the industry’s largest collection of commercial vaccine assays and strong immunochemistry, cell culture and cGMP lab operations, PPD is the first CRO to offer the type of laboratory support that has the potential to bring significant efficiencies to the development of vaccines and biologics.

“The Vaccines & Biologics Center of Excellence provides the high quality scientific support our clients are seeking in a way that allows them to bypass costly capital and resource investments necessary to develop and maintain these capabilities internally.”