PPD has hired a new senior member of management to oversee the company's Phase II-IV clinical operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and lead its expansion plans in the budding region.

"EMEA has been and will continue to be a very large and important region for PPD clinical research operations", said William Sharbaugh, chief operating officer of PPD.

Sebastian Pacios now holds the position of PPD's senior vice president of clinical operations for EMEA, moving to the post from rival firm PRA International where he served as vice president, responsible for clinical research and project management in Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

PPD generates two thirds of its sales in the US, but has been conscious of developing its operations beyond US borders since July last year when several analysts expressed concern that the firm was not capitalising enough on conducting business outside the country.

"We are cautious about PPD's disproportionately small percentage of revenue outside North America," David Windley, an analyst for Jefferies & Company wrote at the time.

At the end of July, PPD announced it would expand its operations in Scotland and more than double its workforce over the next three years.

Several months later, the company announced the opening of site in four new global locations - Copenhagen, Denmark; Sydney, Australia; Lima, Peru and Lisbon, Portugal.

Since October, it has also made a number of key appointments in a bid to bolster its global activities. Paul Colvin has been appointed as senior vice president of clinical operations for North America, Simon Britton was hired as vice president of operations for Asia, Jose Luis Viramontes has been brought on board to lead the firm's drug development services in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and Philip Mathew was recruited as head of all the company's operations and expansions in India.

Meanwhile, rival contract research organisation (CRO) Kendle has also been attempting to make itself known more of late beyond its US base.

The firm has recently appointed Dr Ross Horsburgh as vice president of Global Clinical Development for the Asia Pacific.

Prior to joining Kendle, Dr Horsburgh was regional medical director in the Asia Pacific for AstraZeneca.

In his new role, Dr Horsburgh will be based in Singapore and will provide oversight for the Kendle's Phase II-III operations in the Asia Pacific, including offices in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia as well as New Delhi, India and Beijing, China, and will also be charged with leading the firm's overall expansion plans in the region.

"With a population base of nearly 4bn and R&D spending expected to reach $20bn by 2013, Asia Pacific is recognised by our customers as one of the more dynamic regions in which to conduct clinical trials," said company CEO Dr Candace Kendle.

Meanwhile, Kendle has made another appointment with the goal of growing its Phase I business globally.

"Phase I is a rapidly growing area of opportunity and is an integral part of Kendle's business plan, with the market to growth between 13.4 and 16.0 per cent annually through 2010," said Kendle.

Phillip Davies will take on the role of vice president, Phase I, which includes oversight of a bioequivalence unit in West Virginia and a clinical pharmacology facility in the Netherlands. He will also focus on expanding Kendle's early-phase capabilities worldwide, the firm said.

He joins the firm from Eli Lilly, where he served as director of global exploratory and program phase medical operations, although he has also worked for Kendle in the past.