Demonstrating its expertise in clinical research, Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) today announced that PharmaTimes magazine has named a PPD specialist the 2013 Clinical Research Associate of the Year.

Stuart Meredith, a PPD senior clinical research associate (CRA) based in the U.K., was recognized at the Clinical Researcher of the Year Awards in London on Jan. 31. PPD’s skilled and well-trained CRAs interact with clinical research study sites around the globe to ensure compliance with demanding protocols and industry standards, delivering high-quality service to PPD clients advancing drug development.

“The clinical research associate plays a pivotal role between investigator site and sponsor,” said Sean Morgan-Jones, director of PharmaTimes. “For Stuart to win against such tough opposition speaks volumes for the caliber of PPD’s CRA talent pool.”

The Clinical Researcher of the Year Awards capped a three-stage, year-long competition. Finalists passed an initial qualifying test on good clinical practice (GCP), then wrote a 1,000-word response to a challenge based on operational efficiency. From 95 entrants, Meredith was selected as one of 10 finalists, including PPD’s Olga Bayduk, a CRA in Russia, to give a presentation in November 2012, followed by questions on clinical research and GCP from a three-judge panel.

“It was a tough but extremely rewarding experience to be involved in the competition,” Meredith said. “I am honored to have won the award, not only for myself, but also on behalf of PPD. Our team has a reputation for expertise and quality, and this peer recognition showcases our commitment to providing the very best service to our biopharma clients and, ultimately, the patients who need life-saving therapies.”

PharmaTimes created the CRA competition in 1999 as an opportunity for professionals to benchmark their skills against peers in a learning environment and be judged by an independent steering committee of high-level industry leaders.

The Clinical Research Associate of the Year recognition is the latest of several top honors earned by PPD, including the PharmaTimes 2012 Clinical Team of the Year award, the 2012 Scrip Award for Best Technological Development in Clinical Trials, and 2011 Scrip Awards for Best Contract Research Organization and Best Technological Development in Clinical Trials.

About PPD

PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development and lifecycle management services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 46 countries and more than 12,500 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.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including statements, expectations and assumptions about the PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year award, contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although PPD attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based and could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause future results to differ materially include the following: competition in the outsourcing industry; the ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel, including our chairman and CEO; rapid technological advances that make our services less competitive; overall global economic conditions; economic conditions, research and development spending, and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and government-sponsored research sectors; consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; PPD's ability to win new business; loss, delay or modification of large contracts; higher-than-expected cancellation rates; the rate of conversion of backlog into revenue; actual operating performance; risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; the ability to control SG&A spending; compliance with drug development regulations; and changes in the regulation of the drug development process. PPD assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing PPD's estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.