Furiex Pharmaceuticals

Fred Eshelman, Pharm.D., founded PPD as a one-person consulting firm in 1985 and quickly expanded the company through natural growth, collaborations, and acquisitions to include drug development services and global offices worldwide. PPD is currently one of the largest contract research organizations (CROs) in the industry. As an industry pioneer, Dr. Eshelman recognized the need for a new approach that could help drug innovators bring more products to market. In 1998, he set his vision in motion, leading the industry with the inception of an innovative pharmaceutical risk-sharing business strategy in which PPD used its vast preclinical and clinical development expertise to design, implement and fund development programs that derisked drug candidates for partners, helping move them closer to market. PPD's compound partnering business featured a seamless connection between the company's core CRO development resources and the discovery efforts of its partners. During the next 12 years, PPD's compound partnering model matured, growing in size and success; and its well-established track record for reducing drug development timelines continues to exceed industry standards. In June 2010, the compound partnering business became a separate business entity, Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which further strengthened this alternative approach to drug development. Key members of the PPD compound partnering team are now part of Furiex to ensure the new company's continued success.