Established in 1985, Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc. (PPD) is a contract research organization (CRO) that provides drug discovery and lifecycle management services. The company s clients and partners include the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices, academic and government organizations. In 2010, the CenterWatch European Site Survey rated Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc. as one of Europe s top contract research organizations. The company serves customers in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It received the CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. In addition, the firm manages its laboratories, services and data operations through ConneXion, its proprietary global database and information management system.