In June, Outsourcing Pharma and Lab Technologist reported on the expansion of MDS Pharma Services' portfolio of bioanalytical testing services with the addition of electrochemiluminescent assay (ECLA) capability, used to test biological samples from clinical research participants.

In an article about CRO central lab expansions, Contract Pharma in June ran a photo of  MDS Pharma Services' new Beijing, China, lab, and mentioned us as a player in this arena. The issue also featured an article on CRO expansion in Asia, including quotes from Jason Chang, clinical operations manager at our Global Clinical Development office in Beijing.

In May, ebiz reported that MDS Pharma Services had selected the IBM Cognos Now! product to track and analyze sales performance across our lines of business.

In May, Outsourcing Pharma featured an article about the appointment of Bernard Tisserand and Jonny Salyer as executive medical directors, bolstering MDS Pharma Services' clout in the areas of respiratory diseases and metabolic disorders.

MDS Pharma Services was well represented in patient recruitment stories in the May issue of R&D Directions magazine. QingAn Jiao and Silvia Zieher of Global Clinical Development are quoted and pictured in two articles dealing with patient recruitment challenges and opportunities in China and Latin America.

• An article on biosimilars by Suzanne Sensabaugh, vice president of Biopharmaceutical Development, was featured in the April 2008 issue of the European BioPharmaceutical Review. In the piece, she examines the increased activity in the United States in the past year in bringing similar biological medicinal products, or "biosimilars," to patients in need. 
  
• International Clinical Trials featured an article on Data Monitoring Committees (DMCs) by Dr. Gurdyal Kalsi, senior pharmaceutical physician, in its April 2008 issue. The article covers the need for DMCs, as well as the guidelines for establishing and managing these important independent bodies, which are responsible for protecting patients participating in a trial setting and upholding scientific credibility for the conduct of an experiment.
  
• The April 2008 edition of the European Pharmaceutical Contractor magazine featured an article on Thorough QT Studies co-authored by Bill Wheeler, medical director for our Centralized Cardiac Services group in Global Central Lab; Joy Olbertz, director ­ Cardiac Safety Services, Early Clinical Research; and Benoît Tyl, senior cardiologist and European medical director for our Global Central Lab line of business. The article examines the practical considerations of executing a Thorough QT/QTc study, with emphasis on the importance of decreasing variability. Link is already live internally. Prashanth - please make sure it's ok on the Web site. Thanks.
  
• In April 2008, PharmaLive and Contract Pharma were two of a number of media outlets that picked up our press release on the recent appointments of Teresa Winslow as senior vice president, Global Business Development, and James Miskel as vice president, Strategy and Corporate Development.

The March 2008 edition of Future Pharmaceuticals included an interview with MDS Pharma Services President Dave Spaight on the Apollo study management system used in our Global Central Lab line of business. In the interview, Dave discusses the innovative Web-based system, which gives clients access to study data any time, anywhere.  

• Scrip World Pharma News (February) and Outsourcing Pharma (January) were two of many outlets to pick up our news release on the opening of our Global Clinical Development office in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• In February, AOL Money & Finance and Outsourcing Pharma were among  the many outlets to cover the launch of Apollo, Global Central Lab’s proprietary trial management system.
• Flinn Foundation's Biosciences online newsletter, which focuses on the Arizona biomedical research industry, includes an article on our new Phase I facility near Phoenix in its February issue: click here for full article.

• Applied Clinical Trials featured our Beijing Central Lab expansion in its January 2008 edition.
• In January 2008, NewsRx, Bio Spectrum Asia, Pharma Business Week, Life Science Weekly, The Biloxi Sun Herald and OutSourcingPharma, among others, reported on the election of MDS Pharma Services President Dave Spaight, chair of the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO). Click here to read Dave Spaight's first commentary as ACRO Chair.
• PharmaLive included an article in January 2008 about the opening of our Phase I clinic in Tempe, Arizona, which more than triples our capacity in the Phoenix area. In addition to widespread pickup of the news release, news stories also appeared in January in the online publication Outsourcing Pharma and in the weekly and monthly versions of CenterWatch. Global Early Clinical Research Vice President and General Manager Riaz Bandali and Vice President, Clinical Operations Eric Valentine were interviewed for the CenterWatch item, as was Phoenix Clinical Site Director Phil Bach. Click here for the CenterWatch story.