PPD adds biologics testing to GMP lineup in Ireland

06-Dec-2018 - Last updated on 07-Dec-2018 at 15:38 GMT

(Image: PPD)

PPD is adding nearly 6,000 square feet of new lab space – and about 20 employees – dedicated to gene and cell therapy analytical testing at its site in Athlone, Ireland.

The facility, currently 41,000 square feet, also will see the addition of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) platforms for contaminant testing for biologics, a new capability at this location.

Jon Denissen, PhD, senior vice president, PPD Laboratories’ bioanalytical and GMP labs, said the Athlone facility enables the company to closely partner with its European clients, and the expansion is a step through which it looks to meet these clients’ needs.

Denissen told us the goal is to offer the same biologic, gene and cell therapy portfolio to clients in both Europe and North America.

“We regularly evaluate all of our operations to make sure we are able to effectively and efficiently serve the needs of our clients,” he said. “These changes in Athlone are part of our ongoing plan to ultimately mirror there the upgrades we’ve been incorporating in Middleton.”

With its space in Middleton, WI, the contract research organization (CRO) has more than 350,000 square feet of laboratory space.