PRA International Creates Global Neurobehavioral Unit to Support Comprehensive Evaluation of Potential CNS Therapies

RESTON, Va., May 17 -- PRA International (Nasdaq: PRAI), a leading global clinical research organization (CRO), today announced the creation of the PRA Neurobehavioral Unit (NBU).

The addition of the NBU strengthens PRA’s industry-leading central nervous system (CNS) global clinical development services, which includes, in-house study design consulting, regulatory expertise, a global investigator network, long-standing relationships with key opinion leaders, and study-specific investigator training.

Wendy L. Martin, M.D., Vice President, Global Product Development Services - CNS, said PRA established the NBU specifically to meet the growing demand for expert guidance in the selection of screening and outcome measures for compounds.

“Many CNS disorders have primary symptoms that are neurobehavioral in nature,” said Dr. Martin. “And the development of therapies for those disorders requires that clinical researchers select the appropriate assessments to accurately and reliably measure neurobehavioral symptoms. Many drugs are centrally active and have unwanted side effects that need evaluation and monitoring too.”

The neuropsychologists, neurologists and psychiatrists that staff PRA’s NBU have the specialized expertise that helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers make informed decisions at all stages of phase I - IV CNS product development. The study-specific rater training and certification programs developed by PRA’s NBU assure consistency in the acquisition, analysis and quality of subjective neurobehavioural data, resulting in clean data, safer drugs and healthy patients.

PRA’s NBU is one of several customer-focused services offered by one of the industry’s most experienced central nervous systems teams -- trained to deliver proven, systematic responsive solutions.

PRA’s expert CNS team is backed by Global Therapeutic Teams, a proprietary library of best practices, enduring relationships with best-in-class investigators, and a global network of key opinion leaders.

PRA International

PRA International is one of the world’s leading clinical development organizations, with over 2,500 employees working from offices in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, Australia and Asia. PRA delivers services to its clients through a unique approach called Project AssuranceSM, which represents the company’s commitment to reliable service delivery, program-level therapeutic expertise, easy, global access to knowledge, and involved senior management.

PRA International Is Registered To The ISO 9001:2000 Standard. Although other clinical research organizations have similar registrations, PRA International is the only global CRO with ISO 9001:2000 registration for the entire standard, including study design and development.

To learn more about PRA International, please visit http://www.prainternational.com or call our World Headquarters at +1-703-464-6300.

Contact Information

Gina Fitzgerald

Media Contact

PRA International

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