What’s New New healthcare-related products, services, and companies
Corbett Accel Healthcare Adds New Interactive Unit
The new business unit, Kinect, fuses strategy with design and technology. Corbett Accel Healthcare Group has expanded its interactive offerings with the establishment of Kinect. “One of the shortcomings of other interactive groups is that they don’t apply technology strategically,” says William F. Marovitz, Ph.D., executive VP and chief scientific and technology innovation officer for Corbett Accel Healthcare Group. “Kinect takes a more strategic approach to ensure that any communication channel we use will be successful in enriching our clients’ relationships with their customers,” he says. An example of Kinect’s ability to fuse strategy with design and technology is the interactive detail aid produced for use in a tablet PC. The program was structured to emphasize brand positioning. The animated detail aid was a complement to the new tablet personal computers. Kinect pioneered one of the first online physician advisory board programs that combined multimedia learning, data collection, and automated statistical analysis, as well as automated honoraria payment. Energy! & Company Launched in New York Dr. Daniel Teper, the former chief operating officer of GSW Worldwide’s International and Specialty Marketing division, has acquired the rights to one of the firm’s innovative marketing initiatives, which he previously oversaw at GSW, and created a new entity, Energy! & Company, based in New York. The new firm will be independently owned and continue to maintain a strategic relationship for professional and consumer advertising services with GSW Worldwide. According to GSW Worldwide President Phil Deschamps, “Daniel has a unique capability to think and act strategically in developing innovative approaches to integrated communications.” One of Energy! & Company’s initial engagement’s is as the management and communications partner of The Vascade Alliance, a new not-for-profit organization chaired by Weill-Cornell Medical College Dean Anthony Gotto, M.D. The alliance brings together top medical specialists with food and pharmaceutical partners and other key stakeholders to promote an integrated approach to the management of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Energy! & Company’s approach is based on strategy (defining a differentiating advantage), confluence (shaping opinions), experience (creating emotions), and affinity (building relationships), which form the Energy! Circle, Dr. Teper says. Slack Launches New Publication for Diabetes Slack Inc. will launch a new publication in February 2005, Diabetes Vital. The new quarterly life-style magazine initially will be sent to the offices of 20,700 endocrinologists, diabetes educators, and high-prescribing internal medicine physicians throughout the United States. Diabetes Vital is a life-style magazine for patients, presenting easy-to-read information that will inform and educate patients. “Diabetes Vital will reach both physicians and patients and inspire conversations between them,” says Richard N. Roash, executive VP of Slack Inc. “Our research tells us physicians will support this publication, which features quality, practical-focused patient information on nutrition, physical activity, diabetes self-management, new technologies, treatments, clinical trials, and more. For advertisers, it’s the opportunity to associate their products with a powerful and reputable source that will affect healthcare decisions.” Diabetes Vital is designed to reach and influence patients at the point of physician contact, when patients are asking questions and seeking advice. “The information appearing in Diabetes Vital could not be more timely as physicians are eager to educate and improve the life-styles of their patients by supporting them with information about diabetes,” says comedical editor Virginia Zamudio, R.N., MSN, CDE. Diabetes Vital is a publication that will reach both physicians and patients, and inspire conversations between them, says Richard N. Roash, executive VP of Slack Inc. Verispan Launches New Service Acquiring prescription data for mid-level practitioners, such as nurse practitioners (NP), physician assistants (PA), and certified nurse midwives (CNM), can be challenging. Verispan has addressed this challenge with the launch of Vector One: Prescriber Extract (VOPEX). VOPEX draws from a single database to provide prescription metrics and true patient measures, which differentiate between true new, continuing, and switch/add patient transactions. This service provides the pharmaceutical industry with enhanced opportunities to reach prescribers. VOPEX data are calculated at the prescriber level and reconciled against territory- and state-level “checkbook” estimates, ensuring that the sum of prescribers equals the national total. Counts are provided within hours from receipt of request, and list orders are processed within a few days. Vector One is a database that projects both traditional prescription metrics and True Patient Measures by linking stores and providers with a common encryption engine. Kinect takes a more strategic approach to ensure that any communication channel we use will be successful in enriching our clients’ relationships with their customers, says William F. Marovitz, Ph.D., Executive VP and Chief Scientific and Technology Innovation Officer for Corbett Accel. By partnering with US Wellness to conduct targeted consumer health screenings to identify and qualify candidates, we will effectively and efficiently execute high-touch health screening services across the United States, says Dr. Steven Peskin, CEO of PRP. PRP and US Wellness Unite to deliver Patient-Recruitment Services Pharmaceutical Research Plus Inc. (PRP) and US Wellness Inc. are offering a new service to reach potential study participants in their local communities. “One of the greatest challenges for clinical trials is to identify and screen individuals for either symptomatic or minimally symptomatic conditions,” says Steven Peskin, M.D., MBA, CEO of PRP. “In a recent feasibility study sponsored by a major pharmaceutical company, US Wellness was able to identify and refer screened volunteers for a study of an asymptomatic condition three times more cost-effectively than traditional efforts. As part of PRP’s community outreach activities, these health screenings are delivered to markets based on demographic and geographic segmentation.” Together, PRP and US Wellness have demonstrated success in compressing the timeline needed to recruit patients by using the integration of local media, community outreach, targeted health screenings to concentrate on eligible patient populations, call center support, and site support. PRA International Centralizes Key Services PRA International (PRA) has formed centralized Document and Data Management Centers. The centers serve as a single repository for all documents generated during PRA’s clinical trials and help enhance the efficiency of data management. “By centralizing these critical functions, our clients benefit in several important ways,” says David Dockhorn, Ph.D., executive VP of Global Clinical Operations at PRA International. “One of the most valuable benefits is that we will be able to provide faster access to clinical-trial data and other program-critical information.” In other company news, PRA International has formed a global Therapeutic Area Business Development (TABD) services division. PRA executives established the new division to create solutions that originate directly from PRA’s core therapeutic areas of expertise. “The strategic collaboration among PRA’s core therapeutic experts, thought leaders, business development team, and operations professionals creates more in-depth therapeutic knowledge and data-driven decisions to draw upon when tailoring solutions that meet our clients’ needs,” says Bruce Teplitzky, senior VP of therapeutic area business development. INC Research Expands Eu Operations INC Research has opened an office in Germany, in Düsseldorf’s state-of-the-art Life Science Center. “Having a solid presence in one of the three biggest biotech clusters in Germany adds significantly to our ability to conduct harmonized, top-quality clinical research in Europe and as part of an international project,” says Kelvin Logan, Ph.D., president of INC Research Europe. Caroline Wenzel, MSc., Ph.D., has been appointed as head of clinical operations in Germany. She will be based in INC Research’s new facility in Düsseldorf. Dr. Wenzel brings more than 14 years of clinical and scientific experience from the pharma, biotech, and contract research industries. “Dr. Wenzel provides a solid scientific and clinical foundation upon which to further evolve INC Research’s therapeutically specialized expertise and technologically advanced service offering in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe,” Dr. Logan says. “Our customers will benefit from the enhanced depth and breadth of our global service capabilities, customized, as always, to meet their unique program requirements.” This important step demonstrates PRA employees’ commitment to deliver high-quality services consistently, on-time, and at a competitive cost to our clients, says David Dockhorn, Ph.D., Executive VP of Global Clinical Operations at PRA International. MD Net Guide Launches Geriatric Journal Intellisphere LLC’s MD Net Guide is adding a new special-interest publication to its family of peer-reviewed journals, MD Net Guide: Focus on Geriatric Medicine. As a special supplement to a well-established portfolio of publications that explore the intersection of healthcare and technology, MD Net Guide: Focus on Geriatric Medicine will debut in the first quarter of 2005. “Adding this geriatric medicine edition was a natural next step, given that America’s elderly are consumers of the largest portion of our healthcare dollars,” says Todd Kunkler, associate editorial director. “Our aim is to provide physicians treating the elder community with a convenient, time-saving tool that is specific to their patient population.” Men and women 50 years of age and older consume healthcare disproportionate to their numbers in the population. While representing 13% of Americans, this age group accounts for 35% of all prescriptions dispensed, one-half of all visits to primary-care physicians and one-third of U.S. healthcare dollars spent ($300 billion). All told, more than 35 million seniors spend twice the amount on prescriptions as the under-50 population. The premiere issue will explore how the Internet and other technologies are changing the way doctors care for their elderly patients. Applications such as telemedicine, for example, are cost-effective and have the potential to dramatically reduce medical errors in the long-term-care setting. In addition, the world of Internet pharmacies will be examined, with a discussion on the manner in which elderly consumers are specifically targeted. Every issue will include the following regular features: Upcoming Events: the who, what, when, where, and why of geriatric medicine-focused conferences and meetings; Newswatch: updates on relevant public affairs issues in each state; PDA Resources: programs, downloads, and extras designed to help get the most out of hand-held computing; Clinical Trial Reports: a directory of clinical trials currently enrolling geriatric patients; eAbstracts: a link to studies published in whole or in part online, drawn from major professional journals in geriatric medicine; CME Online: links to continuing medical-education opportunities, all available in their entirety online; Medical Websites: a comprehensive list of links to credible and practice-enhancing online information resources; Clinical Focus: condition-specific links focusing on a particular disease state relevant to physicians treating the elder population; and Patient-Education Sites: links to reliable, patient-oriented and caregiver information. MD Net Guide: Focus on Geriatric Medicine will be published quarterly and distributed to more than 87,000 primary-care physicians, as well as other physicians and healthcare professionals involved with practicing medicine in elder communities and long-term care facilities. According to John Maillard, Corporate Communications Manager at MD Net Guide, the new publication will have major relevance for practicing physicians, since the Internet can enhance quality of patient care while lowering physician overhead. Dr. Daniel Teper, CEO of Energy! & Company, says the company’s approach is based on strategy, confluence, experience, and affinity. Healthworld and Ogilvy Healthcare Merge Healthworld Communications Group has merged with Ogilvy Healthcare, both WPP companies, to form Ogilvy Healthworld. “The union of these two dynamic companies solidifies our goal to develop a significant global business network that will further enrich the services and capabilities that we offer our clients,” says Steven Girgenti, worldwide CEO of Healthworld Communications. In Europe, Ogilvy Healthworld has offices located in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, and Poland. Margot James, currently head of Ogilvy Healthcare Europe, assumes the position of regional president of Ogilvy Healthworld Europe. Before this, Ms. James had founded the Shire Health Group, which had formed a partnership with Ogilvy Healthcare in 2002. “Ogilvy Healthworld Europe is poised to provide the most comprehensive healthcare marketing communications services throughout Europe,” Ms. James says. “We are very excited to offer these resources to our global clients.” I3 Research Acquires Statprobe I3 Research, a therapeutically focused CRO specializing in oncology, central nervous system, and respiratory and infectious disease, has acquired Statprobe, a provider of data services that has five locations throughout the United States. The expanded company, named i3 Statprobe, offers data services and electronic data capture/remote data capture (EDC/RDC) capabilities in more than 45 countries. “This merger weds two companies with similar ideologies,” says Glenn Bilawsky, i3 Research CEO. “Both are focused on customer service and quality, both use technology strategically, and both continually innovate to provide clients with the most creative solutions.” “For 16 years, Statprobe has delivered the highest quality data solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical-device industries. We are pleased to have found a partner who also values quality, clinical expertise, innovation, and state-of-the-art technological solutions,” adds Lora H. Schwab, Ph.D., cofounder of Statprobe. What’s New on the Shelves The Code of Federal Regulations/ICH Regulations is a series of eight books that has been updated for 2004-2005. Published in April 2004 by Clinical Research Resources, the guidelines include a combination of FDA regulations, ICH guidelines, and editorial content pertaining to clinical research. New with this edition is information on the European Directive on good clinical practice and the proposed changes to the safety reporting sections of 21 CFR Part 312. For more information, visit clinicalresearchresources.com. The new 3rd edition of BIOPHARMA: Biopharmaceutical Products in the U.S. Market is a resource for general reference and technological and competitive intelligence. Launched in September 2004, the reference provides detailed monographs for more than 350 products, including all recombinant and other proteins, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, enzymes, blood products, toxins, and cultured cells and tissues. The guide is written and published by Ronald A. Rader of the Biotechnology Information Institute. For more information, visit biopharma.com. FDA Advisory Committees: Perils and Profits is a new book coauthored by Wayne Pines, former FDA associa e commissioner for public affairs, and John Kamp, a former legal and policy advisor to the Federal Communications Commission. Published by FDA News in October 2004, the publication spells out the right ways to approach the FDA for quicker drug approval. The book addresses: what committees look for in an application, the kind of evidence that committee members find the most persuasive, and what the committee is likely to ask your team of experts. For more information, visit fdanews.com. Understanding FDA Drug and Biologic Adverse Event Regulations, 2004 Edition, published by FDA News, is a comprehensive collection of official FDA guidelines, documents, and advice essential for accurate adverse event reporting. This edition contains revised and all-new information, including updated code filing investigational NDA safety reports, postmarketing reporting of adverse drug experiences for drugs and biologics, and updated ICH guidance for clinical safety data management. For more information, visit fdanews.com. Charles River Laboratories’ Contract Staffing Services Changes Name Charles River Laboratories’ (CRL) Contract Staffing Services Division has a new name to reflect its expansion of services: Consulting and Staffing Services (CSS). CSS remains committed to the recruitment, training, and management of CRL personnel throughout its customers’ facilities. Such necessary support can be found in commercial, academic, and government research facilities nationwide. CSS personnel provide animal and veterinary medical care, laboratory services, and research support-all critical contributions to the success of its customers. The company is expanding its services to provide additional consulting offerings. This includes consultation on animal care and use programs, such as regulatory and policy issues, occupational health programs, training activities, and the AAALAC accreditation process. In collaboration with CRL’s engineering professionals, CSS also can advise on animal facility design and operations. CSS also offers specialized services to support aquatic research and husbandry and isolator technology. The new name, Consulting and Staffing Services, reflects the growth and diversity of our portfolio of services, says Lynn C. Anderson, Executive Director, Consulting and Staffing Services. Ground Zero Pharmaceuticals Expands Consulting Services Ground Zero Pharmaceuticals Inc. (GZP) has expanded its services to include expertise in the clinical development, data management, study monitoring, and biostatistics areas. Working with experienced CROs, employees can now provide sophisticated regulatory and medical strategy, pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic study planning, toxicological analysis, review of chemistry, manufacturing and controls data, and clinical-trials conduct for medical products in the United States and abroad. “The expansion of our work into full-scale clinical research enables us to fulfill the needs of firms to efficiently outsource their programs to one experienced provider of services, while maintaining the same quality, client-centered philosophy, and efficient approach from which we have built our reputation,” says Evan Siegel, Ph.D., president and CEO. Our approach to the basic sciences and intellectual property upon which development programs are built, melded with practical clinical development strategy and the realistic needs of the FDA, is critical for a continuous flow of new and important therapies into the U.S. marketplace, says Evan Siegel, Ph.D., President and CEO of Ground Zero. Seminars for Physicians Integrated Clinical Trial Services (ICTS) and Thomson CenterWatch are teaming up with Universal Meeting Management to offer continuing medical-education seminars for physicians on such topics as: how to be a successful clinical-trial investigator; developments in specific diseases; and treatments and therapies. ICTS and Thomson CenterWatch provide the content. Universal Meeting Management provides the logistics services. We are pleased to partner with Universal Meeting Management to provide information to physicians around the world on topics, treatments, and therapies of consequence, says Tom Sturgis, President of Integrated Clinical Trial Services. Follow Up Consulting and Staffing Services (CSS), Wilmington, Mass., is a provider of research tools and integrated support services that enable innovative and efficient drug discovery and development. For more information, visit criver.com. Energy! & Company, New York, is focused on innovative strategic communications initiatives. For more information, call 646-437-4851. Ground Zero Pharmaceuticals Inc., Irvine, Calif., is a regulatory affairs and product development consulting firm providing strategic and tactical support to the pharmaceutical, biologics, biotechnology, and medical-device industries. For more information, visit groundzerous.com. Healthworld Communications , New York, a WPP company, provides comprehensive integrated marketing communication and medical-education services to the pharmaceutical industry. For more information, visit healthworld.com. I3 Research, Basking Ridge, N.J., an Ingenix company, is a full-service,specialized contract research organization focused in oncology, central nervous system, and respiratory and infectious disease. For more information, visit i3research.com. INC Research, Raleigh, N.C., manages all aspects of global clinical development programs for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing treatments targeting cancer and central nervous system disorders. For more information, visit incresearch.com. Integrated Clinical Trial Services, Cary, N.C., is a full-service patient enrollment firm that provides clinical trial sponsors, contract research organizations, and site networks with a comprehensive resource for patient recruitment expertise. For more information, visit integratedtrials.com. Intellisphere LLC, Plainsboro, N.J., is the publisher of the MD Net Guide journal series for physicians. For more information, visit mdnetguide.com. Kinect, New York, an interactive digital marketing business unit within Corbett Accel Healthcare Group, is a healthcare communications company and is a member of the Omnicom Group Inc. For more information, visit kinect.com. Pharmaceutical Research Plus Inc. (PRP), Severna Park, Md., was founded in 1994 to introduce a new method to accelerate patient recruitment for pharmaceutical clinical trials. For more information, visit prpi.com. PRA International, McLean, Va., is a clinical development organization that delivers services to its clients through Project Assurance. For more information, visit prainternational.com. Slack Inc., Thorofare, N.J., is a provider of information to targeted healthcare specialties. The company publishes journals, newspapers, medical and allied health books, and produces more than 50 Websites and Internet-related projects. For more information, visit slackinc.com. Statprobe, Ann Arbor, Mich., is one of the nation’s largest privately held contract research organizations. For more information, visit statprobe.com. Thomson CenterWatch, a division of the Thomson Corp., Boston, is a publishing and information services company. For more information, centerwatch.com. Universal Meeting Management Inc., Raleigh, N.C., specializes in corporate meeting planning. For more information, visit umminc.com. US Wellness Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., is a national provider of targeted healthcare marketing programs. For more information, visit uswellness.com. Verispan, Yardley, Pa., a healthcare informatics joint venture of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and McKesson Corp., provides a broad array of information products and services to the healthcare industry. For more information, visit verispan.com.