BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced the passing of W. Blaine Knight, Ph.D. on Saturday, November 20, following a lengthy illness. Blaine, 55, had served as Vice President of the Drug Discovery Division at Southern Research since January 2008.

“I hope the Southern Research family will join me in thinking of and praying for Blaine’s family during this extremely difficult time,” said Dr. John A. “Jack” Secrist, III, president and CEO of Southern Research, in a note to employees. “We are grateful for Blaine’s leadership and admire his courage and tenacity in fighting this illness. His contributions to Southern Research were meaningful to us all, and we will certainly miss his insight on our senior leadership team.”

Visitation will be held in North Carolina on Wednesday, November 24 at Clements Funeral Home in Durham, followed by a graveside service in Maplewood Cemetery. Blaine is survived by his wife, Tracey L. Hauth-Knight, and two young daughters, Dallas and Meghan.

For now, Dr. Secrist will handle the day-to-day leadership of the Drug Discovery Division.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that it is acquiring the bioanalytical laboratory assets and bioanalytical personnel of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

This acquisition will allow Southern Research to expand its existing bioanalytical laboratory services, especially in the area of clinical trials support.

“We are happy to have this opportunity to expand our bioanalytical services and to offer some BioCryst employees an opportunity to join our team at Southern Research,” said Andrew Penman, Ph.D., vice president of Drug Development at Southern Research. “This offer will also keep these scientists and their families in Birmingham, which is important to industry growth here.”

The bioanalytical lab personnel will continue working in the BioCryst research facility in Birmingham until they can be relocated to Southern Research’s Southside Birmingham campus sometime early next year.

For more information about Southern Research’s preclinical drug discovery and development services, please contact BusDev@SouthernResearch.org.

About Southern Research

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, and environment and energy research. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that it has completed a bond financing transaction that will provide $20 million for capital projects. The financing will be used to renovate and expand its Birmingham-based engineering research and preclinical drug discovery and development facilities.

“We are pleased to be able to accelerate investments in our core engineering and life sciences businesses,” said David Rutledge, Southern Research’s chief financial officer. “We appreciate the proposal of Compass Bank and the other Birmingham financial institutions who worked with us to put this financing in place. We also appreciate the work of our financial advisor, Porter White & Company, in designing a debt policy and financing program appropriate for us, including the structure of our endowment which is one of the keys to our confidence in expanding our programs.”

“The Recovery Zone Bond financing will allow Southern Research to access capital at an attractive cost with flexible terms,” said Goodloe White, president of Porter White & Company.

The financing was issued through the Cooperative District of the City of Birmingham – Southern Research Institute, a public corporation organized in cooperation with the City of Birmingham, as tax exempt Recovery Zone Facility Bonds. The Bonds were purchased and will be held by Compass Bank. Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC served as bond counsel.

“We were delighted to work with Southern Research and Porter White & Company to structure financing for the upcoming capital projects,” said Doug Williams of Maynard Cooper & Gale. “After evaluating several options, the team concluded that the recovery zone bond program was most advantageous, and we hope that the efficiency and flexibility of this financing will continue to pay dividends for many years to come.”

The Recovery Zone Bonds will fund capital investments required to expand Southern Research’s engineering business in the Oxmoor area, and its Southside Birmingham campus where drug research and energy research are conducted. Through the expansion of these research facilities, the financing may also permit staff retainment and recruitment of new researchers to the area.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced that Eve Mylchreest, Ph.D., has joined the Birmingham-based not-for-profit research organization to lead its reproductive toxicology group. Reproductive toxicology is the study of the effects of drugs and chemicals on mammalian reproduction, from the developing embryo/fetus to the sexually mature organism. Reproductive toxicology is a critical component of drug development to ensure that new drug candidates do not cause harm to unborn children and to ensure that they do not impair the ability to have children.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Mylchreest join us, providing her significant expertise to our drug discovery and preclinical drug development efforts,” said Dr. Andrew Penman, vice president of Drug Development at Southern Research. “Her knowledge of reproductive toxicology and general toxicology, as well as her experience on drug development teams will be extremely valuable to our research clients.”

Dr. Mylchreest has 13 years experience as a study director conducting Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) studies for drugs, pesticides and commodity chemicals. She was previously employed by Pfizer in Chazy, NY, where she was a principal research scientist in Reproductive Toxicology. Prior to that, she was a senior research toxicologist and manager at DuPont Haskell Laboratory in Newark, Del. She completed her postdoctoral research at the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology in Research Park, NC. Dr. Mylchreest earned her Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the Université de Montréal, Canada, also earning her Master’s degree and Doctorate degrees in toxicology while there.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute, founded in 1941, is an independent non-profit organization conducting research and development in drug discovery and preclinical drug development, and advanced engineering research and development in materials, electromechanical systems design, and environmental and energy technologies. Southern Research has discovered more than 20 drugs that have entered clinical trials, with seven drugs having been approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of cancer.

More than 550 employees support commercial and government clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy sectors through technology out-licensing, sponsored research, and strategic collaborations. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Southern Research has facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information about Southern Research, visit southernresearch.org.

BIRMINGHAM/HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit scientific research organization based in Birmingham, today announced that Thomas J. Heyer has joined Southern Research as Manager of Business Development in the Engineering Division, working in Birmingham as well as the new office opened in Huntsville last month.

“Tom’s expertise in the identification and commercialization of composite materials opportunities and innovative product development for new and existing global markets will be valuable to the engineering team at Southern Research, and also to our customers,” said Michael D. Johns, vice president of Engineering. “This is an area of business with high growth potential, so we look forward to his leadership.”

Heyer will direct marketing of engineering services for the development and testing of composite components and structures. Previously he was Technical Product Marketing Manager at Ticona Technical Polymers Division, Celanese Corporation since 2004. He managed the maintenance and growth of a global specialty polymer line while a Business Unit Manager at Zeon Chemicals. His career experience also includes nine years at 3M Company and seven years with General Motors. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, respectively, from the University of Rochester, and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. He has achieved Six Sigma DFSS Black Belt certification and been active in a wide range of community service organizations.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

Birmingham CRO, biotech company find a way to enhance client offerings through scientific collaboration

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research and Vivo Biosciences, Inc. have signed a collaborative agreement to promote and co-market services of the respective organizations in a way to align complementary market growth interests in the most cost efficient way, and to enhance their service offerings to clients.

“For many years now, the pharmaceutical research industry has been finding great value in collaborative research between different organizations,” said Dr. Andrew Penman, vice president of Drug Development at Southern Research. “We are pleased to be working with a Birmingham biotech neighbor, Vivo Biosciences, as contract research services partners. This will allow both of our organizations to offer a larger array of services to our clients in a cost-efficient manner.”

“By partnering in certain scientific programs, Vivo Biosciences’ technologies and Southern Research’s excellent preclinical capabilities could potentially accelerate the preclinical drug decision-making process with much better precision and at a lower cost,” said Dr. Raj Singh, CEO of Vivo Biosciences.

According to Singh, Southern Research’s national and international network of clients, and its range of drug discovery and preclinical drug developmentservices is specifically of value to Vivo Biosciences. In return, Vivo’s 3D mini-tumor models-which offer real time functional analysis-are very complimentary to Southern Research’s advanced drug screening processes.

“In this economy, such partnerships are a smart thing to do, but can also lead to new creativity and the development of new innovation,” said Penman. “We were fortunate to find such an interesting partner here in Birmingham.”

About Vivo Biosciences

Founded in 2004, Vivo Biosciences, Inc. is the developer of new ‘all-human’ bioassay platforms for preclinical research, drug discovery and therapeutics. The company relies on its patented HuBiogel™ technology which emulates the biology of normal and disease tissues in vitro. A series of 3-D or Mini-tumor bioassay systems are developed for rapid analysis of drug efficacy, toxicity and therapy prediction, the major bottlenecks of current DD pipeline. This high-value technology is offered worldwide to academic, private and government institutions. Privately held, the company is based in Birmingham, Alabama, and its products are marketed worldwide. www.vivobiotech.com.

About Southern Research

Southern Research is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, and advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information about Southern Research and its capabilities and accomplishments, visit southernresearch.org.

Birmingham/Huntsville, Ala. – Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit scientific research organization based in Birmingham, today announced the opening of its new office at 4910 Corporate Drive in Huntsville, Ala. The Huntsville office will support Dept. of Defense and NASA programs, and serve as a center for business development activities in the Huntsville market.

“Southern Research engineers have supported defense and space flight programs in Huntsville for decades,” said Michael D. Johns, vice president of Engineering at Southern Research. “Huntsville continues to be an important market for us, so we wanted to be closer to our customers and partners.”

Southern Research engineers are widely recognized for a variety of disciplines including materials characterization in extreme environments, image processing and analysis, nondestructive characterization and metrology, and design and development of stabilized platforms for ground and air-based systems. These extreme environments range from cryogenic temperatures to more than 5,000° Farenheit. Southern Research is also known for developing unique video tracking instrumentation for military and commercial applications, and can design and build special airborne instrumentation systems and precision stabilized platforms for a wide variety of applications. Our Engineering Division has supported both NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army at Redstone for more than 40 years. The Engineering Division is ISO 9001 registered.

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization founded in 1941 that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information see southernresearch.org.

Birmingham, Ala. – Southern Research Institute today announced the winners of the Southern Research Institute 2009 Excellence Awards. One of the awards acknowledged the Birmingham scientific team tasked with responding to and assisting with global demand for the H1N1 flu vaccine last year.

The Excellence Awards program recognizes and rewards exceptional performance, outstanding accomplishments, and the setting and maintaining of high standards. The program was expanded in 2008 to include both individual and team recognition as well as expanded individual award categories.

All nominations are submitted by peers and supervisors, with the awards based on individual or team achievements that demonstrate innovation, competence, dedication, creativity, dependability, professionalism, quality, and/or service to clients or internal work groups.

“It is exciting to publicly recognize employees who excelled in the never ending quest to improve the health and well-being of people around the world,” said Robert L. McClure, vice president of Human Resources and Administrative Services at Southern Research. “What makes this award most meaningful is that these winners were nominated by their co-workers, the people who can best judge superior effort and achievement. I believe it says a great deal about the winners and all of the people of Southern Research in Alabama, North Carolina and Maryland because we had so many nominations for the award this year.”

The awards were presented by Southern Research president and CEO John A. “Jack” Secrist III, Ph.D. and divisional vice presidents during ceremonies in Birmingham, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, No. Carolina. The categories awarded and recipients were:

The awards were presented by Southern Research president and CEO John A. “Jack” Secrist III, Ph.D. and divisional vice presidents during ceremonies in Birmingham, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, No. Carolina. The categories awarded and recipients were:

Excellence in Leadership: Brian LaGory (Drug Development), Debbie Gohegan (Drug Development-Frederick, Md.), Karen Gilbert (Drug Development), and Ellen Faaleolea (Drug Discovery-Frederick, Md.)

Process Excellence: Jill Cordle (Finance), Sara McKellip (Drug Discovery)

Project Management Excellence: John Baker (Engineering-North Carolina)

Individual Initiative: Lavinia Rose (Drug Development)

Technical Excellence: Omar Moukha-Chafiq (Drug Discovery), Paula Allan (Drug Discovery), Chris McAnnally (Engineering)

Team Excellence: Damien Prewitt, James Johnson, Jason Lee, Stenisha McGhee, Michael Hendricks, Frank Robinson, Willette Edmonds, Timothy Williams, Wayne May, Christopher McCrief and Carlos Cadenhead (DLAR Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Lisa Slappey, Valerie Johnson, Crystal Coleman, Kristen Southworth, Tim West, Tiffany Pitts, Candi Looney, Barbara Taggart, Logan Haller, April Robb, Angela Burns and Shuang Feng (Influenza Program Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Brian Tidwell, Allison Brown, Sheryl Burrage, Bill Severson, Debra Sharpe, Jim Noah, Mary Guttieri (Biological Threat Reduction and Integrating Contract (BTRIC) Team-Birmingham)

Team Excellence: Monica Mason, Jamie Bell, Donna Bowen, Becky Boyer, Nikki Brown, Rodney Donaldson, Charlie Hampton, Dana Skillman and Rachel Wilson (Team ABSL3-Birmingham)

About Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. Our more than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. Southern Research has considerable experience in developing and evaluating technologies for the power industry. southernresearch.org

DURHAM, N.C. – HCL CleanTech, a US-Israeli biofuels technology development company, has selected Southern Research Institute in North Carolina as the hosting site and operator of its first pilot plant to produce low cost fermentable sugars, high-quality lignin and tall oils from North Carolina pine trees. The pilot plant is now under construction at Southern Research and will begin operations this summer.

“HCL CleanTech will invest millions of dollars to move the company to North Carolina and build the pilot plant,” said Eran Baniel, president and CEO. “We evaluated other sites across the U.S., but chose Durham because of the facilities and expertise here at Southern Research, and the warm welcome we encounter from everyone here. Looking forward to commercialization of our process, we hope that with state and county assistance, and a successful pilot, we might provide the pulp and paper industry with a new opportunity.”

Southern Research’s advanced energy research facility, located in Durham, helps develop and prepare new clean energy technologies for commercialization. Researchers there are currently developing four different technologies that convert America’s diverse carbon resources into high-value products such as clean diesel fuel, jet fuel, ethanol, fermentable sugars, electric power, and bioproducts. Southern Research works with commercial, government, and research institutions that seek to develop and commercialize advanced energy technologies by designing, building, and testing pilot-scale prototypes of these technologies.

“We are honored that HCL CleanTech chose to come all the way from Israel to North Carolina because of our unique energy lab and the other resources North Carolina offers developing biofuels companies,” said Stephen Piccot, director of Southern Research’s operations in North Carolina. “Like our other bioenergy technology clients here in Durham, we are here to help HCL CleanTech realize their dream of developing affordable bioenergy and bioproducts. Finding alternatives to foreign oil are necessary for our nation, our state, and our children’s future. That’s why Southern Research built this energy development lab.”

Once HCL CleanTech’s pilot-scale facility is built and commissioned, Southern Research engineers, scientists, and technicians will begin operating the unit this summer. Some goals of that effort are to determine optimal operating conditions, define operating characteristics, and seek technology optimization paths HCL CleanTech can integrate into its first generation commercial plants. Sugars, lignins and tall oils produced at the facility will be distributed for testing of integration to more than 40 companies across the U.S. and internationally who have the technologies to convert the sugars to biofuels and bioproducts and have requested to try the sugars, the lignin and the tall oils from the pilot plant.

HCL CleanTech has developed a proprietary technology to make an old, industrially proven German process converting lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars for fuel production economically attractive. These fermentable sugars are considered a gateway to advanced biofuels (biobutanols, biodiesel, jet fuel, etc.) and biochemicals (bioplastics, etc.) Modern chemical technology makes the implementation straightforward and immediate. HCL CleanTech’s use of concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) efficiently hydrolyzes cellulosic materials and allows a large variety of feedstocks to be used with minimal configuration. HCL CleanTech has developed other proprietary technologies to de-acidify lignin and separate tall oils – both high quality byproducts to the sugars.

“We’d like to thank Southern Research’s efforts to facilitate HCL CleanTech’s move to North Carolina,” CEO Eran Baniel continued. “They were joined by the warm welcome extended to us by the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, and many of the players active in the North Carolina Cleantech world—the Department of Commerce of North Carolina and the director of the Government of Israel Trade and Investment Office.”

HCL CleanTech received Series A financing by Burrill & Company and Khosla Ventures, as well as Zohar Gilon, the lead seed investor, and the founders. Southern Research and the Biofuels Center of North Carolina are collaborating to ensure HCL CleanTech’s experience in North Carolina is a positive one.

“It is great to see the material support the Biofuels Center is providing to HCL as it builds its first generation commercial biofuels plant here in North Carolina, based on the technology being piloted for them at Southern Research,” said Mr. Piccot. “Together, Southern Research’s laboratories in Durham and the Biofuels Center are a potent force for attracting and nurturing green technology industries here in North Carolina.”

About HCL CleanTech

Incorporated in December 2007, HCL CleanTech Ltd is a technology development company co-founded by two of Israel’s most prominent Industrial Chemical Research scientists—Prof. Avraham Baniel (over 35 years Applied R&D and Management of IMI – Israel Mining Institute – and teaching at the Casali Institute of the Hebrew University) and Prof. Ari Eyal (Prof. of applied Chemistry, senior advisor to many firms worldwide) Since May 2009, HCL CleanTech Ltd is fully owned by HCL CleanTech Inc whose offices are at the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Oxford NC. www.hclcleantech.com.

About Southern Research

Southern Research Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy, and preclinical drug discovery and development. Our more than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine. Southern Research has considerable experience in developing and evaluating technologies for the power industry. southernresearch.org

About The Biofuels Center of North Carolina

The Biofuels Center is a private non-profit corporation funded by the North Carolina General Assembly to develop large capacity for biofuels statewide in coming years. The Center implements sustained state policy, assists companies and all parties within the biofuels community, and works to meet North Carolina’s goal: by 2017, 10% of the state’s liquid transportation fuels will come from biofuels grown and produced within the state. www.biofuelscenter.org

Wilmington, N.C. and Birmingham, Ala. – PPD and Southern Research Institute today announced they have formed a collaborative agreement in pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine research and development to provide clients a full spectrum of influenza vaccine development services by collaborating on client bids and projects.

As part of the agreement, Southern Research will transfer its seasonal assays and reagents to PPD, strengthening PPD’s influenza vaccine testing services. In return, PPD will help build Southern Research’s preclinical influenza and clinical pandemic/highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) testing business through client referrals.

PPD is a leader in development and testing services for vaccines and biologics and offers a large collection of commercial vaccine assays. It provides submission support services for new and modified vaccines as well as a wide range of other products, including blood components and recombinant therapeutic proteins.

Southern Research is a preclinical developer and service provider of assays for influenza vaccine sample testing and has played a key role in the analysis and development of new and existing vaccines and antivirals for both seasonal and highly pathogenic influenza. It is often among the first research organizations to respond to emerging disease threats, including highly pathogenic Avian and pandemic influenzas. Southern Research also provides serology support for clinical trials of influenza vaccines, including vaccines for the latest pandemic flu.

“This key collaboration enhances PPD’s position as the first CRO to offer a comprehensive menu of vaccine assay development and testing services to support vaccine clinical trials with faster, more cost-efficient laboratory solutions,” said Christine Dingivan, M.D., chief medical officer of PPD. “Our agreement with Southern Research further expands our large collection of commercial vaccine assays with very important capabilities in the influenza vaccine field and enables us to expand our partnerships with influenza vaccine developers in the commercial, government and nonprofit sectors.”

Nancy M. Gray, Ph. D., vice president of corporate development, Southern Research Institute, added, “By partnering with PPD, Southern Research has the opportunity to expand its client base for the well-recognized work our scientists perform in the influenza research field. By working closely with one of the world’s top clinical CROs and leaders in the fields of vaccine clinical trials conduct and laboratory testing, we can provide an unmatched breadth of influenza services to our clients. Together, we will offer a full spectrum of influenza research capabilities with highly respected bench to market support.”

About PPD

PPD is a leading global contract research organization, celebrating 25 years of providing discovery and development services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 40 countries and more than 10,500 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and commitment to quality to help clients and partners maximize returns on R&D investments that accelerate the delivery of safe, effective therapeutics. For more information, visit www.ppdi.com.

About Southern Research

Southern Research Institute is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, and advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy. Our more than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, N.C. and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, D.C. and Kiev, Ukraine. For more information about Southern Research and its capabilities and accomplishments, visit southernresearch.org.

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this news release, including expectations and assumptions about the collaborative agreement between PPD and Southern Research Institute, are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although PPD attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors which could cause results to differ materially include the following: risks associated with and dependence on collaborative relationships; rapid technological advances that make our products and services less competitive; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; competition within the outsourcing industry; success in sales growth; loss of large contracts; increased cancellation rates; economic conditions and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government industry segments; risks associated with acquisitions and investments, such as impairments; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for PPD, copies of which are available free of charge upon request from the PPD investor relations department.