Top Stories for the Week of Oct. 8th 2007

Top News

Parexel Acquires Taiwan-based CRO APEX Clinical Research

Waltham, Mass.-based contract research organization (CRO) Parexel International purchased APEX Clinical Research, a CRO based in Taiwan with operations throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The company paid $50.9 million in cash for the remaining 20.3 million shares of APEX. The newly acquired company will become a wholly owned subsidiary and will be called Parexel APEX International. Parexel had already purchased a minority interest in the CRO in April 2003.

DSG Takes on EDC, Randomization and Supply Integration

DSG has replaced the need to use an interactive voice response system (IVRS) for complex randomization to obtain drug kit numbers, thus cutting out a third technology vendor. By using eSourcing on a tablet PC and DSG’s eCaseLink EDC system, site investigators were able to record patient information in real time and receive randomized and blinded kit numbers for drugs already shipped from the sponsor. This also eliminated the need to reconcile the IVRS data with a site’s main trial management system.

Other breaking news...      

• Averion sells clinical staffing services unit...
• Pivotal Research Centers 2007 revenues decrease...

Company Profile: An interview with Kathleen Ashenfelter, director, operations and development, Cu-Tech