NEW ELECTRONIC AND WEBBASED APPLICATIONS, SITES, AND TECHNOLOGIES
West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. has launched eWestDirect.com, the industry’s first ecommerce enabled Website focused on supporting cus tomers with online technical guidance,as well as a source for buying pharma ceutical closures. “eWestDirect.com exemplifies West’s ongoing mission to develop innova tive programs that meet our customers’ growing needs for rapid drug devel opment,”says Linda Altemus,VP and chief financial officer of West.“Customers can get immediate answers to relevant questions about stopper formulations and coatings, stopper preparation and storage, functionality, and machine capability. Once registered, customers have access to global pharmacopoeia information, industry testing standards, regulatory information, and informa tion about processing secondary seals.” The eWestDirect.com site consists of two main sections: technical informa tion and products.The technical information section includes product recom mendation forms and a comprehensive index of technical data to assist in the selection and use of primary elastomer closures. The product recommenda tion form provides customers with a list of questions that can enable West to make an appropriate closure recommendation for the customer’s specific application.Within the online product catalog section,customers may buy up to 50,000 pieces of a variety of stoppers, seals, glass vials, plastic closures, and containers.These orders are typi cally fulfilled within two business days. American Brachytherapy Society Redesigns Website to APPEALTOCONSUMERS ANDDOCTORS The American Brachytherapy Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering scientific study, applications, and usage of brachytherapy, has redesigned its Website — www.americanbrachythera py.org — to attract consumers, medical professionals, and new members. “This Website offers the com munity of brachytherapy practi tioners the latest brachytherapy news and updates, access to other practitioners, and information on upcoming medical education opportunities,”says Dr. Colin Orton, president of the ABS. “In addition, the consumer section of the site is a particularly valuable resource because it offers a tremendous amount of information on different forms of cancers and vascular dis orders and their treatment with brachytherapy. Our intention is to provide consumers access to informa tion that will help them make informed decisions.” TheWebsite has three distinct sections, including a section that offers consumers highquality informa tion,written in understandable terms.Another section is written for the medical communityandoffers access to the ABS peerreviewed journal, Brachytherapy, con ference attendance information, and abstracts of pre sentations.The last section is developed for ABS mem bers and provides access to ABS newsletters, updated research and medical information,and other tools. Brachytherapy is an internal radiation therapy that is used to treat cancer and coronary artery disease. Vertibrae has announced that Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, has joined founding sponsors Merck & Co., Wyeth Pharmaceu ticals, and Immunex Corp. as a sponsor of Rheuma tologyWeb through an unrestricted educational grant. The grant will help RheumatologyWeb, one of Vertibrae’s premier specialist medical Websites, maintain its leadership position as a provider of cur rent medical and scientific news as well as expert Amgen Joins Merck,Wyeth,and Immunex as SPONSORSOFVERTIBRAE’S RHEUMATOLOGYWEB Pharmaceutical Closures Website Offers CUSTOMERSONLINETECHNICALGUIDANCE TheWebsite has three distinct sections, including a section for consumers,one for the medical community,and one for ABSmembers. Dr. Orton Linda Altemus, VP and chief financial officer of West Pharmaceutical Services, says eWestDirect.com is a valuable tool for customers that can help keep some of their product development processes on schedule. Dendrite’s latest version of WebForce features broad integration capabilities, advanced analytics, and new regional and userbased configurations to serve pharmaceutical salesforces in different markets around the world. WebForce, which is the only sales force automation software solution designed and built exclusively for the pharmaceutical industry, now includes Dendrite’s suite of XMLbased adap tors,Xtelligent.Xtelligent facilitates data exchange between WebForce and other thirdparty applications, is highly configurable, and does not require any other software. With its open, extensi ble, flexible architecture, Xtelligent makes clients’ installed software applications more effective, is quickly and easily deployable, and is scal able to accommodate customers’ future growth and business requirements.By using Xtelligent, clients can increase their financial return on their existing tech nology investments. “Xtelligent gives pharmaceutical manufacturers a revolutionary, cost effective approach for managing all customer interactions,” says Christo pher French, Dendrite senior VP of Global Solutions.“Now,when acall cen ter application logs a doctor’s call,this information can be shared seamlessly with the sales rep in that doctor’s terri tory. Or, in response to a recent market development, a brand manager can share updated marketing messages with the salesforce.Xtelligent has the capability to link, in real time, all electronic promotional channels.” Xtelligent has the capability to link, in real time, all electronic promotional channels. Christopher French commentary and assessments of the most recent developments in the diagnosis, management, and investigation of rheumatologic diseases. RheumatologyWeb is an expertauthored Web publication produced in association with New York University School of Medicine, Division of Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology, and is the leading Webbased provider of information,education,and commentary intended specifically for rheuma tologists. MANAGINGCUSTOMER INTERACTIONS Made Easier with NewWebBasedTool Linda Altemus, VP and chief financial officer of West Pharmaceutical Services, says eWestDirect.com is a valuable tool for customers that can help keep some of their product development processes on schedule. Emedia 79 PharmaVOICE J u l y / Au g u s t 2 0 02 Quovadx Inc., a provider of total business inte gration software and services, has updated its QDX Platform with new versions of QDX Integrator, QDX BPMS, and QDX Development Studio. One of the highlights of the updated version is the ability to add Web services to better deploy a solid business inte gration infrastructure for the most challenging pack aged application and legacy integration projects for healthcare, entertainment, and other industries with heavy integration requirements. With the addition of Web services,Quovadx’s QDX Platform now supports a services architecture that will allow customers to begin integrating disparate Inter net technologies. Using QDX Integrator, customers can quickly build new Webenabled applications by using Web services to integrate existing interfaces to legacy applications. Using QDX BPMS, customers can build new applications with business flows that com bine multistep processes that leverage legacy and other services. This solution can bridge the gap between .Net and J2EE applications. According to research analysts at Gartner, Web services are beginning to become part of most major vendors’ software architectures — a check mark item to include in their technology infrastruc ture strategies. By 2003, analysts say, about 80% of all platform vendors will support Webservice architec tures, which will represent the next generation of platform middleware. “The future of Web services is bright but the implementation is not quite complete,” says Lorine Sweeney, president and CEO of Quovadx.“However, with the QDX Platform,we can supplement the gaps of Web services and roll out powerful applications today.Web services add a great deal of functionality to our integration efforts.” SYSTEMUPDATES QDX Integrator: . Customers have more flexibility in choosing a scripting language . Java code can be written and called from within the QDX Integrator user points of control . Linux is now supported for configuration clients and the engine installed on QDX Integrator . Support for the HIPAA Implementation Guidelines have been added to Quovadx’s HIPAAExpress package QDX BPMS: . Now supports Web services development,process orchestration and management; to facilitate the use ofWeb services,support for SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) has been added to the product . Thegraphical user interface has been enhanced to facilitate seamless integration with QDX Integrator, which will facilitate the use of the integration server as a task during a business process . Support for XSLT for document transformation as well as an upgraded Oracle XMLParser has been added to the product QDX Platform STRENGTHENS TOTAL BUSINESS INTEGRATION Infrastructure IMS and comScore to Provide ROI INFORMATION FOR INTERNET Initiatives Leveraging the expertise of IMS and comScore, the two companies are building and offering a new generation of information services to help pharma ceutical and healthcare companies better under stand physician and consumer online behavior. IMS Health and the online measurement com pany comScore Networks, through a multiyear development and marketing agreement,are provid ing pharmaceutical and healthcare company clients information to better understand,plan,and track the value of their Internet investment. IMS is a leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical andhealthcare industries.com Score operates reportedly the world’s largest optin panel of more than 1.5 million continuously moni tored global Internet users, who have agreed to have their Internet behavior confiden tially monitored and captured. “Pharmaceutical companies are making significant invest ments in online activities, from information and brand sites to banner advertising and spon sorships,” says David Gascoigne, head of the Promotional Opti mization Practice, IMS Global Consulting. “Through our rela tionship with comScore,we’ll be able to give our clients a unique and muchneeded perspective on the online landscape and how to optimize return on their Internet investments.” In a separate announce ment, IMS has launched in the U.S. IMS Early Insight, an innova tive Webbased service that provides the industry’s most complete and accurate daily indicator of nationallevel pre scribing activity. Available through the IMS Market ing Effectiveness Suite, IMS Early Insight delivers timely, actionable prescription information to help pharmaceutical companies respond to key market events quickly and effectively. “Speed is critical to pharmaceutical marketers, especially during significant market events such as new product launches, patent expirations, or prod uct recalls,” says Liz Coyle, VP of marketing for IMS. “IMS Early Insight helps our clients compete more effectively by giving them the business intelligence to quickly and easily gauge market variability and adjust their strategies accordingly.” IMS Early Insight applies the company’s proven projection methodology to represent a current day’s dispensed prescription activity — by new prescrip tions, total prescriptions, market share, and method of payment. “Together, IMS and comScore can help pharmaceutical marketers make better informed decisions about their critical Internet strategies, ultimately leading to betterserved physicians and consumers, and improved business results,” says Magid Abraham, president and CEO of comScore Networks. Phase Forward Inc., a provider of clinical and safe ty data management solutions for the pharmaceuti cal industry, has released the latest upgrade to its Clintrace software, version 2.8. The updated version enables customers of Clintrace software to electroni cally submit safety data to global regulatory agencies in accordance with international guidelines. Mandated regulatory requirements for the phar maceutical industry are changing rapidly.One of the more visible industrywide initiatives has been to make the submission of adverse event data con tained in Individual Case Safety Reports more effi cient. The International Conference on Harmoniza tion, comprising industry groups and regulatory agencies in the U.S., the European Union,and Japan, as well as observers from the industry, has proposed the E2B data standard for the format of electronic case files and the M2 standard for the submission of this information.This standard has been adopted by major regulatory agencies including the FDA, the EMEA,HealthCanada,and the MHLW. Standardizing the format for transmitting case data between the sponsor site and the regulatory authorities reduces the cost of processing paper copies, helps eliminate data transcription errors, and Clintrace Software Enhanced to ACCOMMODATE INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES FORDATA SUBMISSION minimizes resource impact at the sponsor site and the regulatory authority. As regulatory agencies globally adopt the mandated use of elec tronic submissions, it is imperative that companies realize the impact of these standards on their safety data system. By supporting the E2B format and providing the means for the electronic submission, this latest upgrade of the Clintrace solution enables sponsors to improve the quality and efficiency of their drug safety workflow. “ This upgrade to the Clintrace solution and the supplemental release of the new electronic case submissions module represent the first steps in realizing our corporate vision of bringing to market a com plete endtoend clinical and safety informatics solu tion,” says Paul Cisternelli, VP of marketing at Phase Forward. “By constantly listening and learning from the expertise of our customers, we continue on our path to deliver the next generation of product safety, complaint, and issue management solutions,” says Paul Cisternelli, VP of marketing at Phase Forward. Magid Abraham Paul Cisternelli Emedia 80 J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 0 2 PharmaVOICE PerkinElmer Life Sciences, a provider of drug dis covery, lifescience research, and genetic disease screening solutions, has made available ArrayInfor matics,the first complete software solution for storing, organizing, and evaluating geneexpression microar ray data. PerkinElmer Life Sciences manages the entire geneexpression experiment from initial design through data acquisition,using data for gene and drugdiscovery programs. Microarray labs are generating more than 1 mil lion primary data points daily and these data must be quickly processed and analyzed to speed up gene discovery, drug discovery, and other microar rayrelated research. With an increasing amount of data to process, managing microarray data has become a complex and daunting challenge. Keep ing track of the samples, procedures, and analysis methods is critical to ensuring reliable and reusable data.The ArrayInformatics database and visualization tool product set can organize, track, and integrate data as a relational set of links, across every step in the geneexpression workflow process. “ArrayInformatics is a very useful data manage ment tool for the high throughput as well as occa sional microarray laboratory,”says Dr.Michael Lombar di, Center for Neurologic Disease, Partners Research Facility, Cambridge, Mass. “From target preparation to data visualization,ArrayInformatics helps us keep track and organize all pertinent protocols, instruments,and reagents.Data access, integration, and analysis are rel atively simple and easy to grasp. The dynamic inter face with Webbased data sites makes researching genes of interest a click away.” Using the ArrayInformatics software, researchers can easily capture and integrate microarray dataflow from instruments and other software packages. Researchers using geneexpression tools for drug discovery, geneexpression profiling, and other genomicsrelated efforts can publish resul s quickly and compare results with colleagues in a standard ized format. “ The ArrayInformatics platform delivers an unmatched level of flexibility and control to the entire microarray process,” says Frank Witney, presi dent of drug discovery at PerkinElmer Life Sciences. Currently, microarray data storage is typically done on a flatfile basis or through an internally gen erated and restricted database. ArrayInformatics is flexible and designed for use in all environments, including the general research laboratory that is operating on any standard network and the multi functional highthroughput laboratory operating on a more complex information network. The ArrayInformatics’ portfolio features include, dynamic, intuitive user interface for all research levels; flexible relational database with maps for data import; direct integration with microarray printing and scan ning instruments and with data files from image anal ysis software; comprehensive data visualization with an analysis map that tracks each step; and customiz able Web links for oneclick public database searches. PerkinElmer Software Organizes GENEEXPRESSION MICROARRAY DATA ArrayInformatics is the first complete software solution for storing, organizing, and evaluating gene expression microarray data. The database and visualization tool product set can organize, track, and integrate data as a relational set of links, across every step in the geneexpression workflow process. THEAMERICANBRACHYTHERAPY SOCIETY,Reston,Va.,provides insight, rationale, and research into the use of brachytherapy in the treatment of both malignant and benign conditions.For more information,visit american brachytherapy.org. COMSCORENETWORKS,Reston,Va., provides the Internet Economy with databased infrastructure services that help improve sales and marketing effectiveness. For more information,visit comscore.com. DENDRITE,Morristown,N.J.,enables pharmaceutical companies to have more of their drugs prescribed for improved patient health through the strategic optimization of their sales and marketing channels and clinical resources.For more information,visit dendrite.com. IMSHEALTH,Fairfield,Conn., is a leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. For more information,visit imshealth.com. PERKINELMER LIFE SCIENCES INC., Boston, is a global provider of drug discovery, research, and clinical screening products, services, and tech nologies for the lifescience industry. For more information,visit perkinelmer.com. PHASE FORWARD INC.,Waltham,Mass., a provider of clinical and safety data management solutions for drug development, is dedicated to helping Follow up pharmaceutical,biotechnology,and medicaldevice companies bring needed drugs and therapies to market faster. For more information, visit phaseforward.com. QUOVADX INC., Englewood,Colo., provides total business integration products and services, and helps more than 1,500 organizations in healthcare, media, and entertainment streamline business processes,solve difficult process integration challenges,and unlock the value of legacy system investments to achieve rapid return on investments.For more information, visit quovadx.com. VERTIBRAE,NewYork,a division of Mediaworks Inc., is a growing network of online medical education communities that includes RheumatologyWeb, HIVresistanceWeb,AnesthesiaWeb, RadiologyWeb,GastroenterologyWeb,and the upcoming InfectiousDiseaseWeb and PainManagementWeb. In affiliation with its academic partners and more than 45 expert physicians and researchers, Vertibrae provides original content and interactive resources for medical professionals. For more information,visit vertebrae.com. WEST PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES INC., Lionville, Pa.,supports global pharmaceutical and healthcare markets with products and services that enhance the effectiveness of drug delivery and product dispensing.For more information, visit westpharma.com.
