There is a new nonprofit organization dedicated to patient recruitment. It doesn't have a full-fledged website yet, but the Patient Recruitment Organization announced an organizational charter that could include a variety of professional development and public communication objectives. So far, the members are mainly marketing firms. Here's a press release.

Hemispherix formed a data monitoring committee. The firm has hit FDA roadblocks in the approval of a drug for chronic fatigue syndrome. But the firm said the safety committee will also play a role in adaptive designs. Here's an article.

Almac doubled the size of a Durham, North Carolina, facility dedicated to clinical trial supplies and operations. "We provide information on clinical input, study materials required, efficient drug kits design as well as full supply chain management," said Donna Christopher, VP of operations. Here's a release.

The New York Times has an editorial noting new FDA policies to release the names of firms that are involved in investment-related waivers of conflict of interest for advisory committee scientists. The agency will also publish the approximate amount of the individual's investment. A third of the 600 slots on its advisory committees are currently vacant, the newspaper estimates, due to the difficulty of finding qualified participants. This ClinPage story addresses advisory committee selection policies.

BioClinica announced quarterly financial results. Revenues rose 6 percent, to $18.1 million; profits dropped 10 percent, to $711,000. The Philadelphia firm announced a long-term deal with Cephalon and acquired a Microsoft-centric clinical trial management firm, Transenda, during the period. The company is also integrating newly acquired tools for medical images, randomization and trial supply planning.

Covance reported quarterly financial results. Revenue rose 8 percent, to $505 million. Profits fell 3 percent, to $39 million. Late phase projects were up strongly in the period, the company said. Chairman and CEO Joe Herring added: "In the second quarter, we began closure of two smaller underperforming sites—our Phase I clinic in Austin, Texas, and our research products facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan—consolidating the volume into more efficient locations. These closures, combined with smaller cost rationalizations in other parts of our company, will reduce our employee-base by approximately 200 people." That works out to about 2 percent of the firm's 10,000 employees. Here's a release.

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