Business and People September 2014
Industry news focusing on the people and organizations who work in the clinical trials profession.
People
CSSi (Glen Burnie, MD) announced the formation of the company’s Medical and Clinical Advisory Board (MCAB), and the addition of William E. Gannon, Jr., MD, to the MCAB. Gannon serves as Chief Scientific Officer & Medical Director for Capital City Technical Consulting (CCTC) in Washington, DC.
ELC Group (Cambridge, UK) announced the appointment of clinical pharmacologist Siddharth Chachad, MD, as Head of Global Clinical Development and Medical Affairs.
WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) (Princeton, NJ) announced that it has appointed David Borasky as Vice President of Quality Management for the Copernicus Group Independent Review Board. Borasky will be responsible for creating and implementing programs, policies and procedures that establish compliance and ethical conduct standards for human research. He will also ensure that the Copernicus Group Independent Review Board complies with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and accreditation standards.
Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) (Wilmington, NC) announced the appointment of Robert Hureau as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Hureau brings 25 years of experience and extensive financial expertise spanning the medical technology/life sciences, manufacturing and consumer sectors.
ERT (Philadelphia, PA) announced that its President and CEO, Jeffrey S. Litwin, MD has been named Editor-in-Chief of MultiMedia LLC’s new peer-reviewed publication: Journal of Clinical Trial Results. The online, open-access publication serves researchers, clinicians, and other professionals interested in the outcomes of clinical trials.
ICON plc, (Dublin, Ireland) announced the appointment of Ira Spector, PhD, as Executive Vice President, Analytics and Consulting. In this role, Spector will lead ICON’s global consulting and drug development services and will also be responsible for ICON’s business process improvement and analytics capabilities.
Biomedical Systems (Saint Louis, MO) announced the appointment of Richard Kovacs, MD, FACC, FAHA to Chief Cardiologist. As Chief Cardiologist, Dr. Kovacs’ primary objective is to provide sponsors with expert cardiac safety guidance while maintaining the highest regulatory standards.
New Facilities
PRA Health Sciences (Blue Bell, PA) announced the relocation of employees from its Horsham and Fort Washington locations into new modern Class A+ office space in Blue Bell. Once completed, the new facility in Blue Bell will house approximately 860 PRA employees and will include more than 148,000 square feet.
Improving Relationships and Diversifying the Site Selection Process
April 17th 2025In this episode of the Applied Clinical Trials Podcast, Liz Beatty, co-founder and chief strategy officer, Inato, discusses a number of topics around site engagement including community-based sites, the role of technology in improving site/sponsor relationships, how increased operational costs are impacting the industry, and more.
Behind the Buzz: Why Clinical Research Leaders Flock to SCOPE Summit
February 7th 2025In this episode, we meet with Micah Lieberman, Executive Conference Director for SCOPE Summit (Summit for Clinical Ops Executives) at Cambridge Innovation Institute. We will dive deep into the critical role of collaboration within the clinical research ecosystem. How do we bring together diverse stakeholders—sponsors, CROs, clinical trial tech innovators, suppliers, patients, sites, advocacy organizations, investors, and non-profits—to share best practices in trial design, program planning, innovation, and clinical operations? We’ll explore why it’s vital for thought leaders to step beyond their own organizations and learn from others, exchanging ideas that drive advancements in clinical research. Additionally, we’ll discuss the pivotal role of scientific conferences like SCOPE Summit in fostering these essential connections and collaborations, helping shape the future of clinical trials. Join us as we uncover how collective wisdom and cross-industry partnerships are transforming the landscape of clinical research.
