PPD will provide support to clinical research efforts by the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Clinical Research Support Services program of the Division of AIDS.

As part of the Clinical Research Support Services program of the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAIAD) within the National Institutes of Health, contract research organization (CRO) Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) has been awarded a seven-year government contract for an undisclosed amount.

PPD will “provide a broad range of clinical and other related research support services for the NIAID/DAIDS-supported clinical research portfolio and other infectious diseases relevant to HIV-infected and at-risk populations.” Specific services include providing support for assessing and auditing investigative sites and laboratories, capacity building, biostatistics, site training and data management, according to PPD.

This agreement is not the first PPD has had with NIAID. The two have had a long-term relationship in place for decades, providing clinical site and study monitoring services to ensure compliance with US and international regulations. In March 2017, PPD was awarded a contract to provide these services for trials related to HIV or HIV co-infections directed by the research institute. The contract could include studies from Phase I to Phase IV on HIV therapeutics and preventative vaccines, topical microbicides, other prevention strategies and strategies for optimizing clinical management of HIV infection and co-morbidities.

“We are pleased to help NIAID develop and maintain a strong clinical infrastructure to meet the needs of DAIDS’ scientific agenda,” said William Sharbaugh, COO of PPD.

Wilmington, North Carolina-based PPD is a global CRO providing integrated drug development, laboratory and lifecycle management services. Its clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. The company has offices in 47 countries and approximately 20,000 employees.