Our 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.

1985

1985

Founded by Fred Eshelman, Pharm. D., as a one-person consulting firm
1986

1986

Expands scope to include development services
1989

1989

Incorporates in North Carolina
1995

1995

Expands to Europe, the Middle East and Africa with acquisition of Gabbay Group, a CRO in the U.K.
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
1997

1997

Offers drug discovery services

Expands to Asia-Pacific region with opening of office in Australia
2001

2001

Declares a one-for-one stock dividend
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
2005

2005

Revenue exceeds $1 billion
2006

2006

PPD board approves a two-for-one split of the company’s common stock
2007

2007

10,000+ employees globally
2008

2008

Purchases InnoPharm, a CRO based in Russia, expanding PPD’s global reach with offices in both Russia and Ukraine
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
2010

2010

Spins off its compound partnering division as Furiex Pharmaceuticals, an independent company

Celebrates 25th anniversary
2011

2011

Acquired by affiliates of The Carlyle Group and affiliates of Hellman & Friedman
2013

2013

Acquires Acurian, a leading full-service provider of clinical trial patient enrollment and retention solutions
2014

2014

Announces agreement to form PPD-SNBL, a joint venture providing a full range of clinical development services in Japan
2015

2015

Acquires network of U.S.-based research sites via Radiant
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
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
2018

2018

Establishes Accelerated Enrollment Solutions (AES), a business unit that combines patient data and a network of clinical research sites
2019

2019

Revenue exceeds $4 billion

AES acquires the clinical research site business of Bioclinica
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
2021

2021

30,000+ employees globally

Thermo Fisher Scientific completes acquisition of PPD
2022

2022

35,000+ employees globally
2023

Thermo Fisher acquires CorEvitas, a leading provider of regulatory-grade, real-world evidence for approved medical treatments and therapies