Covance reported quarterly revenue that rose 5.7 percent to $531 million. Profits rose 9 percent to $35.7 million. Late stage projects are doing considerably better for the company than early-phase work. Lab testing remains strong. "Our strategic information technology projects are progressing according to the plan we outlined," CEO Joe Herring told analysts. "We continue to forecast…more...

Last week’s 2012 Post-Approval Summit had one theme in common with the events of prior years. It’s the flip side to the rising importance of patient registries and observational Phase IV studies. Like it or not, there is diminishing faith in randomized clinical trials (RCT) on the part of the industry and regulatory agencies. So what greets…more...

"Big data" is both empty marketing language and a genuine business problem. IT firms are salivating to handle more data, with Google, EMC, Tibco and IBM positioning old tools for a new age. The goal is to handle high-volume, heterogenous, unstructured data in quantities too monstrous in size to fit in a standard database. Forget about mega…more...

Decision View, a San Francisco firm specializing in advanced patient recruitment algorithms, announced that it has been acquired by IMS Health. Terms were not disclosed. The news release says Decision View helped design and monitor recruitment campaigns for 1,200 trials since the company's inception. "We will enhance clinical trial productivity–transforming the way patient studies are planned and…more...

Almac announced improvements to its randomization and drug supply management system. Randomization for clinical research thus appears to be moving into an era of modern technology, not phone-based code that is decades old. In a statement, the company said: "Almac’s intuitive and user-friendly aXcess system gives clients the full benefit of a web-based randomization system, including state…more...

We always look forward to the publication of a new TouchBriefings. The British firm's projects delve a bit deeper. TouchBriefings addresses the knottier questions facing the industry. Visually, its articles resemble those in a peer-reviewed journal. Late in 2011, a publication from the TouchBriefings team was dedicated to one topic, the increasingly pivotal clinical trial management system…more...

Icon reported sharply lower quarterly earnings. Net service revenue for the period rose 4.5 percent, to $243 million. Profits fell 81 percent, to $4.1 million. CEO Ciaran Murray put the results in a positive light: "I am encouraged with our performance in the quarter. Net new business awards were $308 million." Here are the numbers. …more...