Wilmington, N.C.-based CRO Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) and Rochester, N.Y.-based VirtualScopics have expanded their one-year strategic alliance in clinical and medical imaging services across multiple therapeutic areas to now include oncology, central nervous system, cardiovascular, general medicine and medical devices.

The companies deliver integrated, customized clinical and medical imaging technologies using a patented algorithm-based approach to image processing and biomarker measurement, allowing biopharmaceutical companies to make faster, more confident decisions about the status of their compounds from early phase through post-approval.

"Medical imaging plays a critical role in advancing drug development, and this alliance strengthens our global research and development services across several large disease areas," said Paul Colvin, executive vice president of global clinical development for PPD.

Jeff Markin, president and CEO of VirtualScopics, added, "Sponsors across the industry had become accustomed to the complexities and inefficiencies of managing the broader clinical aspects and medical imaging components of clinical trials separately. This alliance has shown that there are very clear and quantifiable benefits of integrating these pieces together in a seamless fashion."

The alliance was established in October 2010 and initially focused on oncology drug development. Medical imaging has played a large role in deciding whether to advance oncology compounds, particularly as pharmaceutical companies and service providers face immediate challenges in managing studies with increasing complexity and reduced timelines.