Paul Covington

Biography

Dr. Covington currently (2015 to present) consults with the pharmaceutical industry. His expertise includes: over 25 years of strategic drug development (especially US), drug safety, regulatory strategy, and protocol design. Dr. Covington is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and was in private practice from 1985-1990. Following that he was an investigator for Future Healthcare Research Centers actively recruiting volunteers for both patient studies as well as normal healthy volunteer studies. Subsequently he spent 19 years with PPD, a contract research organization, where he advanced to Executive VP and was responsible for global safety, global regulatory affairs, GMP laboratories, bioanalytical laboratories, central laboratories, Phase I healthy volunteer unit, post approval medical information and post approval clinical studies while still playing a critical role in all pre-approval studies. Dr. Covington has been both directly and indirectly involved in literally hundreds of clinical trials over a variety of indications and has attended and/or presided over (from the sponsor standpoint) 15 meetings with FDA. Dr. Covington decided to retire in 2008 but was enticed to rejoin PPD in late 2009 to spin out Furiex Pharmaceuticals (FP) where he was responsible for all clinical development and IT. He remained with FP throughout its existence as well as following its acquisition by Actavis (now Allergan). At spinout from PPD, FP had an IPO stock price of approximately $10/share (June 2010) and was subsequently sold in July 2014 at approximately $100/share.  Dr. Covington has over 20 publications in peer reviewed journals. His hobbies include Christian Church History and long-distance cycling.

Research Interest

pharmaceutical