Pfizer’s Jeffrey Kindler has begun spring cleaning. The company announced the search for a replacement for a 30-year insider, John LaMattina, head of R&D, and the company’s CFO, Alan Levin. Insiders are being considered. But the Wall Street Journal speculates that Kindler, a lawyer and former hamburger chain executive, will go outside the company to fill the posts.

OmniComm Systems announced that it has completed the first commercial integration of an EDC solution with the NCI’s Center for Bioinformatics (NCICB) cancer Data Standards Repository (caDSR). The integration allows customers conducting cancer research to take full advantage of pre-populated global libraries of NCI-developed metadata for their clinical trials. “This new functionality is just the first step in our adoption of the NCI’s cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) initiative. Our ability to seamlessly interact with the NCI’s caDSR provides users of our TrialMaster suite of products the ability to quickly and efficiently design and deploy new protocols using a library of standardized common data elements and forms,” said Randy Smith, chief technology officer of OmniComm Systems. Customers using the TrialMaster EDC solution integrated with the NCI’s library of metadata are now able to build clinical trials faster using NCI standards resulting in better information collection and analysis.

MedLink International has recently announced that it has acquired a controlling interest of Anywhere MD, a provider of mobile electronic medical record solutions to healthcare facilities in the chiropractic market. Under the terms of the deal, MedLink acquired 67 percent of the total outstanding stock of Anywhere MD, which will continue to operate as a separate entity. With the acquisition of Anywhere MD, MedLink will add an additional 4,400 doctors to its network. This acquisition is part of MedLink’s roadmap of becoming the largest physician network in the U.S.

Clinical Research Consulting, a contract research organization (CRO) specializing in clinical monitoring, project management and education and training, has introduced two interactive, self-educational courses that provide an in-depth overview of the clinical research industry and the primary roles and responsibilities of clinical researchers and principal investigators. The online courses enable students to learn and sharpen their skills on the concepts and requirements of clinical research at their own pace from any computer. The Clinical Research Education Program introduces the concepts and requirements of clinical researchers, associates, regulatory coordinators and others involved in conducting clinical trials. The Principal Investigator Education Program is designed for physicians who plan to become involved in clinical trials or have recently assumed principal investigator responsibilities for a clinical trial.

Integrated Clinical Trial Services (ICTS), a company providing innovative and efficient patient-oriented solutions to the clinical research industry, has announced the release of a podcast discussing their Pre-Consent Information Program. In the podcast, Tom Sturgis, president of ICTS, discusses the program and how the firm produces DVD companion pieces for the informed consent process. These companion pieces help patients understand the complex medical language and enable study coordinators to maximize enrollment. “We want this podcast to inform sponsors of the positive impact that DVD companion pieces can provide,” said Sturgis. “The way we present the information is easier for the patient to understand and retain.” The podcast is now available for download.

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