New Healthcare-related Products, Services, and Companies
Featured Briefs:
New Company Stakes Out Contract Diagnostics Category
TGaS Advisors Expands Offerings in Managed Markets, Marketing In other news… ON THE SHELVES Trend: Recent growth in biomarker research is creating a need for clinical testing companies that specialize in diagnostics. ESEARCHDX is a recently launched contract diagnostics organization (CDO) that provides integrated diagnostics development services to the biopharmaceutical and diagnostics industries. Recent FDA initiatives have spurred biopharmaceutical companies’ interest in biomarker research for the purpose of developing companion diagnostics, but traditional pharmaceutical CROs often cannot provide both an in-depth knowledge of the diagnostics industry and the ability to run diagnostic tests in a clinical laboratory. As a CDO, ResearchDx manages the entire diagnostic development process — from initial assay concept and discovery through clinical research to regulatory approval — in an integrated, technology-independent manner that stays focused on customers’ business objectives. “At ResearchDx, we take contract R&D for diagnostics to the next generation," says Co-Founder and Principal Philip Cotter, Ph.D. “Our partners trust ResearchDx to provide everything they need to develop a diagnostic product and to make their business objectives our priority." Dr. Cotter and Mat Moore, Ph.D., co-founder and principal of ResearchDx, head a team with extensive experience in managing clinical laboratories, designing and managing clinical research, and navigating the complex regulatory environment specific to diagnostics. { For more information, visit researchdx.com. TGaS Advisors Expands Offerings in Managed Markets, Marketing TGAS ADVISORS has added three benchmarks to its managed markets offerings to support account management, marketing, and contract management strategies and improvements. Pharmaceutical leaders often identify managed markets as a key area of focus, and Joe Falcon, who leads the managed markets practice at TGaS, says this focus often emphasizes these three related but distinct areas where ongoing strategic and operational changes are critical. The company also has revised its marketing operations approach, offering companies the opportunity to sign on to any one or any combination of benchmarks, and advice for seven critical functions, including marketing operations management; medical, regulatory and legal review; and speaker operations. “Our benchmarks provide collaborative and confidential peer-set information and advice that helps our clients make better decisions and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their marketing operations functions," says Don Paras, director and management advisor. { For more information, visit tgas.com. In other news… ALMAC GROUP’s bioinformatics consultancy, part of Almac’s diagnostics business, supports the discovery and development of biomarkers and enables an in-depth understanding of biology by partnering with customers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and diagnostics settings from initial study design through interpretation of data results. The consultancy offers a range of customizable bioinformatics and biostatistics solutions, such as biomarker discovery and development, exploratory analysis, mechanistic and functional analysis, traditional and next-generation sequencing data analysis, biostatistics, and data integration. Paul Harkin, president and managing director of Almac’s diagnostics business unit, explains that over the years, the company has developed a strong bioinformatics team that has provided invaluable support for internal research and external work. “The launch of the full bioinformatics consultancy business is the next logical step in enabling our customers to access this important resource," Mr. Harkin adds. { For more information, visit almacgroup.com. inVentiv Health has rebranded The Franklin Group as INVENTIV PATIENT ACCESS SOLUTIONS to better reflect the organization’s expanded, multifaceted patient access and reimbursement strategies. According to John Doster, executive VP and managing director of inVentiv Patient Access Solutions, the number of prior authorizations required before patients can get the drugs they need is expected to increase fivefold over the next three years. “As more and more hurdles are put between patients and products, we’re finding a growing demand for our expertise in patient access by drugmakers and physicians," Mr. Doster says. { For more information, visit inventivhealth.com/patientaccess. HOBART GROUP HOLDINGS is a newly created parent company comprised of managed market agencies The Hobart Group and Hobart Forte, as well as Hobart Innovations, a recently formed company focused primarily on the development of proprietary, syndicated payer data products. The goal of Hobart Group Holdings’ new structure is to ensure clients succeed in today’s changing healthcare market by offering them innovative and customized reimbursement solutions. “As the healthcare industry continues to experience tremendous change, we realized that our clients are seeking expert, up-to-the-minute counsel and solutions that help them succeed in the evolving marketplace," says Lisa Bair, founder and CEO of Hobart Group Holdings. “We help our clients meet these new challenges by making our payer expertise truly differentiated and noncommoditized." { For more information, visit thehobartgroup.com. Survey Sampling International (SSI) has established its SSI HEALTH business to support the sampling requirements of health-related market research projects. SSI Health provides access to all major healthcare audiences: patients, caregivers, physicians, and allied health professionals. Its reach extends across a range of therapeutic categories, including metabolic syndrome, central nervous system and mental health disorders, respiratory ailments, and lifestyle treatments. “As the treatment decision process becomes more complex and therapies become more specific, health-focused researchers must meet two conflicting goals: achieving greater reach to more audiences while supporting more precise targeting of lower-incidence populations," says Chris DeAngelis, who heads SSI Health. { For more information, visit surveysampling.com. IMS Health has launched IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, a new initiative that leverages collaborative relationships in the public and private sectors to strengthen the vital role of information in advancing healthcare globally. The IMS Institute is focused on objective, relevant insights and research that accelerates understanding and innovation critical to sound decision making and improved patient care. The IMS Institute incorporates the company’s existing Health Services Research Network, a consortium of academic researchers in medicine, health economics, and public health that applies evidence-based information to address key issues. The Institute has a focus on China, where a team collaborates with government agencies and institutions to enhance the role of information in policymaking and healthcare improvement. { For more information, visit imshealth.com. SHUT UP AND SAY SOMETHING: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND INFLUENCE LISTENERS offers a hands-on approach to help professionals overcome daily communications challenges to quickly influence listeners and decision-makers. Author Karen Friedman, an international communications expert and head of Karen Friedman Enterprises, has included personal review notes from individual client coaching sessions, as well as techniques and lessons learned from brainstorming sessions, closed-door meetings, client conversations, and management of high profile issues. { For more information, visit shutupandsaysomething.com. The Direct Marketing Association’s 2011 DMA STATISTICAL FACT BOOK offers a concise overview of key direct marketing statistics and facts from almost 50 leading research sources. For the 2011 edition, DMA has added dozens of charts on new media to augment the updated information on traditional channels. The publication includes benchmarks on how marketers allocate their spending, which new media are becoming mainstream, how customers respond to marketing, and what trends are emerging. { For more information, visit the-dma.org. CurrentPartnering, a division of Wildwood Ventures, has released THE PARTNERING AND M&A DEALS IN PHARMA AND BIOTECH YEARBOOK 2010, which provides access to the partnering, alliances, and M&A deals and agreements entered into by the world’s leading healthcare companies. Through this publication, dealmakers can effectively and efficiently gain insight into the partnering activities of the past year. { For more information, visit currentpartnering.com.
