PPD Company History
HELPING TO DELIVER LIFE-CHANGING THERAPIES to IMPROVE HEALTH
From its beginnings in 1985 as a one-person consulting firm to its position today as a leading global provider of clinical research services within Thermo Fisher Scientific, PPD’s history is shaped by its commitment to consistent quality and execution, exceptional customer-aligned service and continuous innovation to speed the overall execution of clinical trials.
PPD has conducted clinical trials in more than 100 countries to help customers deliver life-changing therapies to improve health. We apply innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a firm commitment to quality to bend the cost and time curve of drug development and optimize value.
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1985
1985
Founded by Fred Eshelman, Pharm. D., as a one-person consulting firm
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1986
1986
Expands scope to include development services
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1989
1989
Incorporates in North Carolina
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1995
1995
Expands to Europe, the Middle East and Africa with acquisition of Gabbay Group, a CRO in the U.K.
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1996
1996
Initial public stock offering
Acquires Applied BioScience International, which includes Pharmaco and several European regional drug development companies
Expands to Latin America with acquisition of Brazil-based CRO
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1997
1997
Offers drug discovery services
Expands to Asia-Pacific region with opening of office in Australia
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2001
2001
Declares a one-for-one stock dividend
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2002
2002
Acquires Medical Research Laboratories International, adding central lab services in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa to its offerings for clients
Acquires ProPharma, an Asian-based CRO, which significantly expands PPD’s footprint in Asia-Pacific
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2005
2005
Revenue exceeds $1 billion
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2006
2006
PPD board approves a two-for-one split of the company’s common stock
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2007
2007
10,000+ employees globally
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2008
2008
Purchases InnoPharm, a CRO based in Russia, expanding PPD’s global reach with offices in both Russia and Ukraine
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2009
2009
Acquires AbCRO, a CRO in Central and Eastern Europe, strengthening PPD’s presence in a high-growth, emerging region for clinical research
Expanded PPD’s presence in China significantly with acquisitions in that country
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2010
2010
Spins off its compound partnering division as Furiex Pharmaceuticals, an independent company
Celebrates 25th anniversary
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2011
2011
Acquired by affiliates of The Carlyle Group and affiliates of Hellman & Friedman
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2013
2013
Acquires Acurian, a leading full-service provider of clinical trial patient enrollment and retention solutions
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2014
2014
Announces agreement to form PPD-SNBL, a joint venture providing a full range of clinical development services in Japan
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2015
2015
Acquires network of U.S.-based research sites via Radiant
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2016
2016
Acquires Evidera, a leading provider of evidence-based solutions, establishing a global leader in real-world research
Acquires network of global research sites via Synexus
15,000+ employees globally
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2017
2017
Affiliates of The Carlyle Group and affiliates of Hellman & Friedman recapitalize PPD and add two new investors, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and an affiliate of GIC
20,000+ employees globally
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2018
2018
Establishes Accelerated Enrollment Solutions (AES), a business unit that combines patient data and a network of clinical research sites
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2019
2019
Revenue exceeds $4 billion
AES acquires the clinical research site business of Bioclinica
Evidera acquires Medimix, a global technology company providing real-world evidence insights
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2020
2020
Initial public stock offering
Announces plans to expand operations in China by opening a multifunctional lab, along with enlarging existing and opening new clinical development offices
25,000+ employees globally
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2021
2021
30,000+ employees globally
Thermo Fisher Scientific completes acquisition of PPD