New Electronic and Web-based Applications, Sites, and Technologies
Featured Briefs: New System Uses Cloud to Streamline Content Management R&D Architecture Seeks to Speed Scientific Innovation In other technology news… E-UPGRADES AND ENHANCEMENTS Veeva Vault, a cloud-based, regulated content management system from Veeva Systems, combines streamlined compliance and collaboration functionality with the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of a cloud computing-based solution. The Vault offers customized, enterprise-level management of promotional materials, R&D submissions, quality and manufacturing documentation, and clinical trials information. Jennifer Goldsmith, VP of Veeva Vault, observes that while the life-sciences business environment has changed dramatically over the past decade, content management applications have not. “Vault gives life-sciences organizations the power to take control over their content management needs in a way that simply was not possible in the past," Ms. Goldsmith says. “Regulated content is critical to the research, development, production, and marketing processes in the life-sciences industry," adds CEO Peter Gassner. “Vault is a more effective way to manage this content." { For more information, visit veevasystems.com. Trend: Cloud computing technologies are helping to deliver flexible, cutting-edge content management systems for life-sciences companies. R&D Architecture Seeks to Speed Scientific Innovation ACCELRYS ENTERPRISE R&D ARCHITECTURE enables industries and organizations that rely on scientific innovation to bring new products from lab to market more quickly and efficiently through enhanced productivity, reduced costs, and improved quality and compliance across the value chain. The solution offers configurable applications for modeling and simulation, enterprise lab management, workflow definition and capture, and data management and informatics. Accelrys President and CEO Max Carnecchia notes that many R&D solutions rely on proprietary, siloed technologies that are time- and process-intensive and can result in disconnected processes from research through early manufacturing. “Our new Enterprise R&D Architecture addresses the breadth of scientific processes, domains, and compliance challenges encountered across this value chain, speeding time to innovation," he says. { For more information, visit accelrys.com. In other technology news… iMany has added a FORECASTING AND ACCRUALS solution to its ContractSphere platform with the goal of driving better business outcomes through more accurate and timely forecasting. By using the solution to automate the consolidation, collection, and calculation of data, manufacturers can conduct scenario modeling that optimizes operations, provides more precise financial projections, and mitigates the risk associated with manual spreadsheet-based processes. P. Kevin Kilroy, iMany’s president and CEO, calls the solution a huge step forward in minimizing financial, legal, and compliance risk in contract management. “Pharma executives now have self-service integrated data analysis, automated accrual calculation, and what-if scenario modeling at their fingertips," he adds. { For more information, visit imany.com. MEDCHEM DESIGNER, which has been made available by Simulations Plus at no cost, features an intuitive interface for molecular structure drawing and manipulation and several predicted key molecular properties from the company’s ADMET Predictor software. Users who want access to a wider range of properties can purchase a full ADMET license from Simulations Plus. David Miller, Ph.D., team leader for discovery cheminformatics, notes that MedChem Designer enables chemists to sketch a molecule and then rapidly evaluate multiple potential modifications to the structure in seconds. “This ability, including the rapid atomic property calculations from ADMET Predictor, provides a unique capability in the world of chemical design," he says. Chairman and CEO Walt Woltosz says the company believes freely providing MedChem Designer with a few key properties will encourage chemists to upgrade to a full ADMET Predictor license to obtain a complete picture regarding the effects of changing molecular structures. “Chemists want to know as much as possible about the consequences of each change they consider making to a new molecule," he observes. { For more information, visit simulations-plus.com. Greenphire’s CLINCARD system is a Web-based platform that combines prepaid debit-card technology with automated site-level and sponsor-level processes associated with paying and communicating with clinical trial subjects. The ClinCard system offers a cost-effective, customizable alternative to the traditional paper-based payment, aiding subject retention both through efficient delivery of funds and the associated execution of study-specific subject messaging programs. With an estimated 60 million Americans living without a bank account, Greenphire CEO Samuel Whitaker predicts that prepaid debit-card solutions are likely to become a standard throughout the industry. “The ClinCard System can increase subject communication and overall subject retention, thereby lowering overall trial costs while promoting faster study completion," he says. { For more information, visit greenphire.com. Cegedim Relationship Management and Model N are jointly offering an integrated life-sciences CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT solution aimed at helping pharmaceutical and other companies manage their customers and revenue life-cycle processes to achieve fast, powerful insights for shaping customer interactions. The offering combines Cegedim Relationship Management’s expertise at helping commercial teams improve client interactions and relationships with stakeholders and Model N’s ability to integrate critical pricing, contracts, rebates, and incentive processes to help manufacturers manage the entire contact-to-contract-to-cash life cycle across multiple channels. Laurent Labrune, CEO of Cegedim Relationship Management, says the partnership gives companies better visibility into and control over their revenue management life cycle. { For more information, visit cegedim.com/rm. PPD PATIENTVIEW is an online portal linking clinical trial participants with biopharmaceutical companies, physicians, and healthcare resources to enhance patient connectivity and improve retention in clinical trials. PPD’s secure technology empowers clinical trial participants to view, share, and electronically archive medical information related to their illness, enabling them to play a more active role in managing their health and actively engaging them throughout the duration of a clinical trial. Mike Wilkinson, executive VP and chief information officer for PPD, observes that more stringent regulations requiring longer, more complex clinical studies are increasing the likelihood of patients leaving a clinical study before its completion, resulting in costly delays. “PPD PatientView empowers patients by enabling better communication with the study team, better connectivity with study activities, and better access to information about their individual disease," he says. Dave Agrella, executive director for customer solutions, adds that PPD PatientView gives patients access to the personal data that they have contributed to the clinical study on a per-visit basis. “We believe this kind of access increases patients’ sense of involvement and engagement in contributing to the development of best-in-class medicines for their disease and, ultimately, improves the likelihood that they will remain in the trial until its completion," he says. { For more information, visit ppdi.com. GfK?HealthCare has introduced EMO SENSOR as a validated tool for measuring healthcare brands’ emotional loading and intensity. The tool uses a set of labeled pictures to measure 22 marketing-relevant emotions in response to different touch points of a healthcare manufacturer’s brand or advertising communication. Results of an EMO Sensor analysis can then be used by healthcare marketers to adapt or refine strategies accordingly. Maureen McLaughlin, global head of innovation for GfK HealthCare, observes that emotions have been shown to play a significant role in decision-making, thus illustrating the need for a valid measure of their impact on a brand’s success. “We have seen robust results from EMO Sensor’s use with GfK’s consumer clients, so we are excited to unveil this tool for our healthcare clients and enable them to tap into the same depth of understanding of their pharmaceutical brands’ emotional intensity among key target audiences, whether they be patients or physicians," she says. { For more information, visit gfkhc.com. CenterWatch’s next-generation virtual site, CENTERWATCH NEWS ONLINE, offers real-time, objective news reports covering timely stories and emerging trends in the global clinical research industry. The site features breaking news about public and private companies across the clinical research field and includes coverage of new contract award announcements, personnel changes, newly initiated clinical trial activity, experimental treatment results, and FDA actions. “The goal is to provide the highest quality and most relevant editorial and analytical news content to busy clinical professionals," says Joan Chambers, chief operating officer of CenterWatch. { For more information, visit centerwatch.com/news-online. SYMYX NOTEBOOK 6.6, the latest version of Accelrys’ multidisciplinary electronic lab notebook, combines new chemical and biological formulations capabilities with out-of-the-box integration with the Pipeline Pilot Enterprise R&D platform. The latest release also incorporates improved connectivity with the Accelrys Isentris decision support system. { For more information, visit accelrys.com. The latest version of Cegedim Relationship Management’s AGGREGATESPEND360 aggregate spend and disclosure reporting tool includes new templates and healthcare provider spend posting and review capabilities. AggregateSpend360 5.2 also features bolstered fraud detection capabilities and integration with Cegedim’s document and process compliance solutions and OneKey healthcare reference database and services. { For more information, visit cegedim.com/rm. Elsevier Gold Standard has made several enhancements to its PROSPECTORX pricing tool, including the addition of Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) pricing to facilitate accurate real-time pricing analysis, multiple watch lists and enhanced price change notifications, and a new label name search box for market class. { For more information, visit goldstandard.com. Version 5.5 of Simulations Plus’s ADMET PREDICTOR molecule properties prediction software features a new metabolite module and expansions to its toxicity and physiochemical and biopharmaceutical properties modules. The modeling software also incorporates expanded ADMET Risk and ADMET Modeler capabilities for multi-objective molecule design optimization and model building. { For more information, visit simulations-plus.com. Translations.com has released GLOBALLINK 4.0, the latest version of its localization management suite that gives organizations the ability to translate, review, and deploy any multilingual content to operate more efficiently in global markets. The latest release features an intuitive user interface and flexible application architecture that can be launched quickly and efficiently, as well as enhanced database and content management system integration capabilities. { For more information, visit translations.com. The latest release of Trial By Fire Solutions’ SIMPLECTMS software features a number of functionality enhancements derived from feedback from drug developers and clinical research organizations participating in a six-month pilot program of the clinical trial management system (CTMS). SimpleCTMS is designed to offer the benefits of a CTMS without the extensive up-front financial and resource commitments associated with traditional enterprise systems. { For more information, visit simplectms.com.
