PPD expanded its operation in Beijing, China. In a release, the company said it needed more room after hiring 300 people and acquiring Excel PharmaStudies. “The opening of our new office further demonstrates our commitment to investing in China, which continues to be an increasingly important, high-growth area for clinical research,”…more...

An Icon facility in Manchester, England received a supplementary accreditation from Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The facility does primarily Phase I research. Thomas Frey, president of Icon's development solutions group, commented: “We are pleased to have participated in this voluntary accreditation process that ensures continuous safety improvements…more...

Covance will buy $250 million in stock, or approximately six million shares. Here is a wire service story. ClinTec International appointed Dianne Kikta as executive VP. She joins the British contract research organization from a 20-year career at Pfizer and Wyeth, where she recently served as vice president of global clinical…more...

Lilly and i3 Global expanded a two-year-old pact that outsourced data management, giving the contract research organization new medical writing and biostatistical responsibilities in the U.S. Lilly continues to favor the functional service provider (FSP) model. “i3, with an established presence on the north side of Indianapolis, has proved itself as…more...

Roche will lose a high-level scientific executive in its California biotechnology division. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, chief scientific officer and head of neuroscience at the Genentech unit, will become president of Rockefeller University. The Swiss firm has strived to retain key personnel in California and downplayed the significance of Tessier-Lavigne's departure. Here's a…more...

PPD appointed Neil McCullough as VP of quality management systems. He formerly worked at Pfizer. Commented David Grange, CEO of PPD: "Having led quality assurance initiatives for pharmaceutical companies for more than 20 years, Dr. McCullough brings exceptional leadership skills and quality expertise that enhance our ability to deliver for clients…more...

Kendle hired Jeffrey Zucker as senior director of patient recruitment. A psychologist, he previously worked at Merck, Lilly and CRI Worldwide. Here's a release. ClinTec International raised $12.4 million from Elephant Capital, a British investor group that is focusing on opportunities in India. The contract research organization will also get three…more...

Almac launched a new program to help sponsors find biomarkers. Said Paul Harkin, president and managing director of the company's diagnostics division: “We have combined a range of key solutions which are ideally suited to growing biopharma companies.” PPD will expand its laboratory services on the east coast of the U.S.…more...

A commercial North Carolina institutional review board (IRB), Copernicus Group IRB, has received ISO 9001 certification. The company has a paperless system to manage clinical trial forms. “To our knowledge, CGIRB is the only central IRB that has achieved this certification. It is further evidence to our clients and the subjects…more...

BBK announced a new version of its software to manage patient recruitment campaigns. The firm released a new mobile application for customers with Blackberry and Apple smartphones. The software supports 12 different languages: Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. "The smart phone app provides…more...