PPD honoured for clinical research prowess

A specialist at Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) has been named 2013 Clinical Research Associate of the Year by Pharma Times magazine.

Stuart Meredith, a PPD senior clinical research associate from the UK was recognised at the Clinical Researcher of the Year Awards in London for his ability to interact with clinical research study sites across the world to ensure compliance with demanding industry standards.

To be named in the finalists for the award, candidates had to go through a three-stage, year-long competition, with nominees passing an initial qualifying test on good clinical practice before writing a 1,000-word response to a challenge based on operational efficiency.

Out of the 95 entrants, Mr Meredith was named as one of ten finalists to give a presentation In November and faced questions relating to clinical research.

"It was a tough but extremely rewarding experience to be involved in the competition. I am honoured 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," he explained.

Sean Morgan-Jones, director of PharmaTimes, explained that the clinical research associate plays a key role between investigator site and sponsor, adding that Stuart's victory speaks volumes about PPD's talent pool.

The Clinical Research Associate of the Year accolade is the latest in a string of accolades won by the PPD, including the PharmaTimes 2012 Clinical Team of the Year award, the 2012 ScripAward for Best Technological Development in Clinical Trials and 2011 Scrip Awards for Best Contract Research Organisation and Best Technological Development in Clinical Trials.

The company recently appointed three new therapeutic area heads, Daniel J Burch, Puneet Mohan and Alan Solinger, who will be in charge of central nervous system, cardiovascular/metabolism and rheumatology/immunology studies respectively.

Posted by Ben Evans