PPD, INC Research, Parexel, Cato Research, Pacific Biomarkers and Discovery Laboratories - People on the move

PPD has appointed Mike Wilkinson to the position of executive vice president of global clinical development, joining the firm from another contract research organization where he worked as global head of internal medicine and vice president of project management. In his new role, Wilkinson will oversee the company's Phase II-IV operations in North America; Latin America; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Asia Pacific. Another CRO, INC Research, has gained a new employee, with Dr. Richard Williams joining its Regulatory Services team as vice president. In this position, Williams will provide leadership for the strategic regulatory consulting group, as well as manage all global regulatory submissions. "Given the complexity of the regulatory environment, it is critical to have experienced leadership that understands the importance of evaluating multinational data requirements for use in worldwide regulatory submissions," said Dr Michael Corrado, INC's chief scientific officer. According to Corrado, Dr. Williams has "extensive experience" in writing and managing successful regulatory submissions in multiple therapeutic areas and has also interacted directly with regulatory agencies in North America, Europe, Japan, and India, and is familiar with those regional requirements. Prior to joining INC Research, he held senior management positions in clinical research and regulatory affairs for large pharmaceutical companies including Merck & Co. And Pfizer. Recently Parexel has recruited Jacque Fisher as a vice president and general manager in the company's Medical Communications Services business. In this position, Fisher will lead a global team of experts who assist clients in translating complex scientific information into integrated communications and she also has responsibility for overall client management and advising biopharmaceutical companies on the effectiveness of their medical communications programs. Prior to joining Parexel, Fisher was President of Gardiner-Caldwell US, a former business unit of Thomson Healthcare. In more CRO movements, Cato Research has named John Cline as its new president. He joins the organisation from etrials Worldwide, where he served as president and CEO. Meanwhile, contract testing organisation Pacific Biomarkers has hired Tara Hennen to fill the newly-created role of manager, Biomarker Laboratory Services. Hennen will be responsible for coordinating and managing Pacific Biomarkers' portfolio of projects and laboratory services in the areas of biomarker and immunogenicity testing and will report to Ed Merrifield, director of Biomarker Technical Operations. Finally, Discovery Laboratories has added two executives to its senior management team; John Wilson as vice president of Sales and Marketing, and John Tattory as Vice President of Finance. Wilson will be responsible for the development and management of the company's US Sales and Marketing organisation, reporting directly to Dr. Tom Miller, senior vice president of Commercial and Corporate Development. Tattory will be responsible for the development and management of financial, accounting and business systems necessary to manage a commercial pharmaceutical company, reporting directly to John Cooper, executive vice president and chief financial officer.