WILMINGTON, N.C. - August 19, 2009 -- AAIPharma Services Corp., a leading provider of pharmaceutical product development services, announced today that it has appointed Christopher Smith, CQE, RAC to vice president of quality and regulatory affairs. The executive appointment is AAIPharma Services' first since partnering last month with Water Street Healthcare Partners, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on health care, to separate from AAIPharma Inc. and become an independent company.
Mr. Smith will lead the company's efforts to counsel and support customers with their regulatory strategy and submission needs as well as head the company's GMP compliance efforts. He brings to AAIPharma Services more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Smith has held management positions in regulatory affairs and quality assurance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Abbott Laboratories and Endeavor Pharmaceuticals. Most recently, he built the global quality assurance function for AAIPharma Services' former parent company, AAIPharma Inc.
"We are very pleased that Chris has agreed to be part of the AAIPharma Services team," said Karras. "He brings extensive regulatory and compliance experience to AAIPharma Services and will, no doubt, have a tremendous impact on our company's future."
Mr. Smith is a member of the Drug Information Association, the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society and the American Society for Quality. He is a sought-after speaker on a range of pharmaceutical issues including drug development, compliance outsourcing and FDA interactions. Mr. Smith received a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State/Oakland University and a master’s degree in microbiology from Wayne State University.
About AAIPharma Services Corporation
AAIPharma Services Corp. is a leading provider of services that encompass the entire process of pharmaceutical drug development from discovery through commercialization. The company specializes in analytical chemistry, formulation development, clinical packaging, oral drug delivery and contract manufacturing. AAIPharma Services serves more than 300 large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout North America. It is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. For more information on the company, visit www.aaipharma.com.
Media Contact: Barry Johnson 919.260.6696 Barry.Johnson@aaipharma.com
