Dublin, Ireland, 2nd May, 2013 - ICON plc, (NASDAQ: ICLR) a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced the second in its four-part Solution Provider educational webinar series in collaboration with DIA.

On May 21st, ICON and DIA will present Biomarker Strategies for More Efficient Early Phase Drug Development in Alzheimer's Disease. Bringing together leading scientists and thought leaders from the biopharma industry, the webinar will cover:

  • Drug development in Alzheimer's Disease (AD): using data analytics to turn challenges into opportunities 
  • The use of molecular markers in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma in AD - the laboratory perspective 
  • Advances in imaging biomarkers in AD drug development to enable accelerated approval - Fluorodeoxyglucose PET and Functional MRI 
  • Recent FDA draft guidance on developing drugs for AD - key considerations

Professor Klaudius Siegfried, ICON's Vice President & Global CNS Therapeutic Leader, said: "The advancement of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease is essential to improve early diagnosis, accelerate the development of new therapies, and to identify patients likely to respond to treatment. ICON is pleased to work with an association as respected as DIA to present the industry insights of our expert panelists, discussing innovative solutions to overcome the drug development challenges in the most common form of dementia affecting millions of individuals worldwide."

Susan Cantrell, Director, North America at DIA, said: "We are excited to host what will prove to be an insightful and in depth discussion on early phase drug development in Alzheimer's disease.  We take enormous pride in facilitating discussions that lay the foundation for more effective and efficient healthcare globally.  With the high-level presenters participating in this webinar, the transfer of knowledge will be truly second to none."

The webinar will feature the following experts:

  • Niels Prins, MD,PhD,MSc, CEO - Alzheimer Research Center (ARC), Netherlands
  • Michael N Liebman, PhD. President/Managing Director - IPQ Analytics, United States
  • Prof. Klaudius Siegfried, PhD, VP & Global Leader Therapeutic Area CNS (Central Nervous System) - ICON Clinical Research
  • John Allinson, VP Biomarker Lab Services - ICON Development Solutions

The ICON-DIA Webinar Program brings ICON experts together with leading scientists and thought leaders from the biopharma industry to present four 90-minute webinars throughout 2013. The webinars are free to DIA members and will feature topics including oncology, strategies for late phase development,biomarkers and technology as an enabler of clinical development services.

The statements made in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. A description of risks and uncertainties relating to ICON and its business can be found in Forms 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31st 2012 and in the other forms filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the F-1, S-8 and F-3. ICON disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Notes to Editors
About ICON plc
ICON plc is a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company specialises in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. ICON currently has approximately 10,200 employees, operating from 79 locations in 37 countries.
Further information is available at www.iconplc.com

About DIA
DIA is a neutral, global, professional, member-driven association of nearly 18,000 professionals involved in the discovery, development, and life cycle management of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and related medical products. Through our international educational offerings and myriad networking opportunities, DIA provides a global forum for knowledge exchange that fosters the innovation of products, technologies and services to improve health and wellbeing worldwide. Headquarters are in Horsham, PA, USA, with offices in Basel, Switzerland; Tokyo, Japan; Mumbai, India; and Beijing, China.
Further information is available at www.diahome.org

ICON Media Contact
Genevieve Tuck
Weber Shandwick
Tel: +44 (0)20 7067 0655
gtuck@webershandwick.com

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