PPD Strengthens Drug Development Expertise with Appointment of New Therapeutic Area Heads

Expands company’s breadth of global experience in CNS, cardiovascular/metabolism and rheumatology/immunology

WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) has expanded its global product development department, adding drug development expertise with the appointment of three new therapeutic area heads: Daniel J. Burch, M.D., M.B.A., central nervous system; Puneet Mohan, M.D., M.B.B.S., Ph.D., cardiovascular/metabolism; and Alan M. Solinger, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.R., rheumatology/immunology. Each therapeutic head brings extensive product development and commercialization experience to PPD and will play key roles in helping clients plan and address critical drug development challenges.

“In today’s environment, we are partnering with clients on complex drug development strategy and providing medical and scientific expertise that extends beyond traditional clinical trial implementation”

“In today’s environment, we are partnering with clients on complex drug development strategy and providing medical and scientific expertise that extends beyond traditional clinical trial implementation,” said Rob Dow, M.B.Ch.B., F.R.C.P. (Edin), F.F.P.M., global head of medical affairs for PPD and former head of global drug development at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Dow, who manages PPD’s global product development team of six therapeutic area heads, added, “These experts have held senior leadership roles in top biopharma companies, and their expertise will bring added strategic value to our clients. I am pleased to welcome them to our team.”

Daniel J. Burch, M.D., M.B.A., is a pharmaceutical and biotech research and development executive with 20 years of experience in general management, global drug development, global medical affairs and business development across multiple therapeutic areas and functions. He joins PPD from CeNeRx BioPharma, Inc., where he most recently served as executive vice president of research and development and chief medical officer, and led and managed an R&D portfolio directed toward neurology, psychiatry, ophthalmology, oncology and other therapeutic areas. Prior to joining CeNeRx BioPharma, Dr. Burch was at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he most recently served as senior vice president and head of GSK’s neurosciences medicine development center.

Dr. Burch earned his medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn., and a master’s degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University and a fellowship and post-doctoral research in infectious diseases at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis.

Puneet Mohan, M.D., M.B.B.S., Ph.D., comes to PPD from Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he most recently served as executive director of global clinical development and global clinical leader for apixaban, a position he held for eight of his 29-year medical career. In that role, he provided leadership for the clinical development strategy and the implementation of the apixaban clinical trial program from the Phase II and III studies leading to NDA filing and subsequent regulatory approval. Prior to that position, he was with Bayer Corporation.

Dr. Mohan completed his residency in general/internal medicine and earned his medical degree from the JN Medical College Hospital, Aligarh, India. He completed fellowships in cardiology at OLV Ziekenhuis, Aalst, Belgium, and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, Australia. He also holds a Ph.D. in medical sciences from the University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.

Alan M. Solinger, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.R., has extensive directorial and clinical experience in the critical phases of product development, regulatory negotiations, marketing approval and line extension during his 30-year medical career. He joins PPD from XOMA, Berkeley, Calif., where he served as vice president of clinical immunology.

Dr. Solinger earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Missouri–Columbia. He completed fellowships at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in cellular immunology, and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine in clinical immunology and rheumatology.

Drs. Burch, Mohan and Solinger join existing therapeutic area heads Carol A. Olson, M.D., Ph.D., infectious diseases; Dirk Reitsma, M.D., oncology; and Peter Summerfield, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.A., respiratory.

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 PPD’s new therapeutic area heads and their impact on the business, 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: the ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel, including our new therapeutic area heads; competition in the outsourcing industry; 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; risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; actual operating performance; the ability to control SG&A spending; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; compliance with drug development regulations; rapid technological advances that make our services less competitive; 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.