PPD is top global CRO in CenterWatch survey; N.C. CROs take 4 of top 10 spots

A North Carolina CRO stands atop the rankings of a major industry survey and it’s not Quintiles.

PPD (NYSE:PPDI), based in Wilmington, North Carolina, is the top-rated global clinical research organization in the 2011 CenterWatch Global Investigative Site Survey. The results are based on survey responses from clinical research site professionals in more than 70 global locations. PPD led all CROs receiving responses of “excellent” or “good” on 84 percent of survey responses.

PPD was followed closely by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kendle (NASDAQ:KNDL) and Dublin, Ireland-based ICON (NASDAQ:ICLR).

North Carolina is well represented on the CenterWatch survey taking four of the top 10 spots. Raleigh-based PRA International and Quintiles, headquartered in Durham, followed the top three.The remaining CROs making the top 10 were Covance (NYSE:CVD), Parexel (NASDAQ:PRXL), i3 Research, Raleigh-based INC Research and PharmaNet.

CenterWatch, an information clearinghouse for the CRO industry, said PPD received the highest “excellent” score for overall relationship quality. Although CenterWatch has conducted a survey of investigative sites each year since 1997, this year marks the first time that investigative sites around the world were surveyed simultaneously. The CROs were ranked on responses made during February and March from 1,205 clinical research site professionals who rated CROs they had worked with in the past two years.