PPD, Inc., a global contract research organization (CRO), is expanding its Athlone, Ireland, GMP laboratory, increasing the size of its current facility and adding cell and gene therapy testing to the operation’s portfolio of services.
 
The expansion enhances PPD’s ability to deliver global scientific and technical expertise to meet growing customer demand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. By offering these services at its Athlone operation, PPD can provide clients in these locations with the same services already available in the U.S. through its Middleton, WI, GMP lab.
 
“Our enlarged operations will enhance our capabilities in leading technologies related to biopharmaceutical testing and specialty testing for biologics and small molecules,” said Christopher Fikry, executive vice president, PPD Laboratories. “This expansion will enable PPD to provide customers with additional services aimed at reducing time to market for new drug products in important areas such as cell and gene therapies. We are thankful our expansion has been welcomed and supported by the Irish government and IDA Ireland, and we’re confident these new developments will benefit our customers.”
 
The Athlone GMP lab provides fully integrated analytical services across all phases of pharmaceutical development and commercialization, helping clients fulfill regulatory requirements for release testing and qualified person (QP) services for clinical and marketed pharmaceuticals, including small and large molecules, inhaled products, and cell and gene therapies.
 
The current 4,460 square meter (48,000 square foot) operation will grow to 7,710 square meters (83,000 square feet) upon completion of the project, which is expected to be fully functional by mid-2022 and is projected to create 180 new jobs over the next three years. The current operation employs nearly 300 scientists and project managers who support the demand for PPD’s services, which includes testing to support the development of novel and advanced pharmaceuticals and therapies.
 
In addition to the lab in Athlone, PPD Laboratories includes GMP labs in Middleton, Wisconsin; bioanalytical labs in Middleton and Richmond, Virginia; central labs in Shanghai, China, Brussels, Belgium, Highland Heights, Kentucky, and Singapore; biomarker labs in Highland Heights and Richmond; a vaccine sciences lab in Richmond; and a multipurpose bioanalytical, biomarker and vaccine sciences lab that is nearing completion in Suzhou, China.