Clinical suite DataTrak International is suing executives who came aboard as part of the ClickFind acquisition. DataTrak alleges that the sellers in that $18 million transaction misrepresented their authority to sell their own software, which (unbeknownst to DataTrak) had already been licensed to a contract research organization, Emissary. That licensing has now been cleared up between DataTrak and Emissary. But DataTrak is seeking $5 million in damages from the ClickFind owners. Some of them work for DataTrak. On Friday, however, Dow Jones reported Jim Bob Ward, ClickFind’s founder, was removed from his role as executive VP at DataTrak. There’s a bit of news coverage here and here.

Encorium named a new president and CEO: David Ginsberg. He’ll also manage North American operations, which had been the role of Kenneth Borow, who recently left the firm. Previously, Ginsberg worked at KV Pharmaceuticals, Omnicare Clinical Research, and Omnicomm Systems. Here’s a release.

PharmaNet’s stock is being pummeled by investors worried about a 30 percent cancellation rate at the contract research organization. It’s not clear why the rate is so high at a time when other contract research organizations are growing steadily. The company told Wall Street its revenue for 2008 will be roughly $32 million lower than expected, in the range of $358-366 million. The company singled out late phase projects as a weak area. PharmaNet stock is down more than 70 percent during 2008, Forbes says.

GSK’s Michael Pucci is the subject of a 6-page profile in the September issue of Pharma Voice. A GSK employee since 1982, Pucci is now VP of external advocacy and has given a presentation on the industry’s merits some 700 times. The idea is to train employees at embattled companies to informally but accurately discuss what the industry does right with friends and relatives, deflecting negative coverage of the industry in the news media. Since his trainees evangelize on their own, Pucci’s presentation may have reached some 50 million Americans, he estimates. PhRMA has adapted some of his techniques.

etrials named a new chief financial officer: Joseph Trepanier III. Trepanier has been serving as interim secretary and CFO since May and had previously been etrials’ corporate controller and vice president of finance. Here’s a release.

Octagon Research has raised an additional $12 million from Edison Venture Fund and Ticonderoga Capital, which also has invested in Synteract. Octagon specializes in data conversion and systems to expedite the processing of regulatory submissions, but it also owns an electronic data capture (EDC) system. 

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