Kendle, a clinical research organization, today announced the promotion of Simon Higginbotham to president. Chris Bergen, who previously served as president and chief operating officer, will continue as chief operating officer. In his new role, Higginbotham will provide global leadership for worldwide customer and business expansion to include strategic customer relations and new market opportunities. “As we embark on the next stage of our corporate growth, it is imperative we have the dedicated leadership strength in place to support our needs as a larger global organization,” said Candace Kendle, the firm’s chairman and CEO. “Simon Higginbotham is a proven leader within Kendle and has been a key member of our executive team since joining the company in 2004.” Here is the press release.

Velos, a provider of clinical trial management systems and a member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork, will develop an interface between Velos eResearch and Oracle Clinical. Velos eResearch is installed at many clinical sites, while Oracle Clinical enjoys a following in the large pharma sector. Since Oracle Clinical previously has not seen any urgent need to form alliances with other clinical trial technology suppliers, this is a departure for the company. Here is the press release.

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Chiltern opened an office in St. Petersburg, Russia to serve the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. The office will be headed by Alexey Kornilov, recently named general manager of Chiltern’s Russian operations. “The opening of our St. Petersburg office is a logical next step in Chiltern’s continued growth in Central & Eastern Europe,” said Armand Czaplinski, Chiltern general manager for the region. “With an ever higher number of competing trials, the pharmaceutical industry increasingly recognizes the potential of CEE countries to meet enrollment goals. The availability of trained staff and the quality of the data produced has resulted in an increased number of FDA- and EMEA- approved clinical trials.” Here is the release.

New England Research Institutes (NERI), a specialty CRO and Evidence Clinical and Pharmaceutical Research (CPR) Institute, a physician-founded and -operated CRO that conducts multinational clinical trials in Russia and Eastern Europe, announced a strategic partnership. The two companies will collaborate on sponsor-initiated clinical trials and offer each other their country-specific skills and insights. Here is the release.

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TrialStat, a Canadian electronic data capture firm, signed up SMS-oncology, an Amsterdam-based CRO specializing in oncology. As a member of the vendor’s program for contract research organizations, SMS-oncology can utilize discounted rebates on its software license and expand its business in partnership with TrialStat in Europe and North America. Here are the details.

The Drug Information Association (DIA) has launched a three-year plan for expansion into India with the development of the First Indian Regulatory Conference later this month (April 28-29) in Mumbai, India. “This is an exciting time of growth for DIA,” says Linda McGoldrick, DIA worldwide executive director. “DIA has successfully established an office in Mumbai and is working to develop a strong volunteer and member network in the region.” Here are more facts about clinical trials in India and DIA.

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