Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) has added two new leaders in product development, strengthening the global CRO’s therapeutic expertise and ability to aid biopharmaceutical clients in delivering life-changing therapies to patients.

“PPD’s global team of scientific, medical and strategic experts provides our clients expertise that helps reduce the cost and time associated with bringing medicines to market,” said Rob Dow, senior vice president of Medical Affairs for PPD. “By joining this team, these leaders deepen our expertise in neuroscience, pediatrics and rare diseases—areas that are very important to PPD and our customers.”

Stephen Peroutka, M.D., Ph.D., has joined PPD to serve as vice president of Global Product Development and therapeutic area head for Neuroscience.

Peroutka has served as an advisor and consultant to several biopharmaceutical companies. He previously served as chief medical officer at Semnur Pharmaceuticals and as chief medical officer and executive vice president of NeurogesX. Earlier, he served as vice president of neurosciences for a large CRO; chief medical officer of Zogenix; franchise leader for Pain Conditions at Johnson & Johnson; founder, CEO and president of Synergia Pharma; and founder, CEO and president of Spectra Biomedical, a startup focused on identification of genes in migraine, later acquired by GSK.

Peroutka served as chief of the neurology service at the Palo Alto Veteran’s Administration Hospital. He earned both a medical and doctoral degree in pharmacology and experimental therapeutics from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Horacio Plotkin, M.D., FAAP, joined PPD as vice president of global product development in the pediatrics and rare diseases therapeutic area and also serves as medical lead for the Rare Disease and Pediatric Center of Excellence.

Plotkin most recently served as global clinical development lead at Shire. Previously, he spent three years as chief medical officer of Retrophin, and held medical director positions at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Enobia Pharma and Genzyme. He spent 20 years as a practicing pediatrician in the field of pediatric rare diseases.