Greenphire Supports Proposed EU Legislation to Reduce Clinical Trial Administration

King of Prussia, PA (25 Jul 2012) – The European Commission recently announced proposals to address increasing administrative costs and a decline in the number of cross-border clinical trials conducted in the European Union. The proposed legislation, expected to be enacted by 2016, aims to speed up authorization and reporting procedures while ensuring patient safety and data quality. Greenphire, the global leader in clinical payment technologies, today affirmed its support of the new regulation and its focus on alleviating the administrative burden of trials taking place across multiple geographies. Greenphire is committed to reducing administration associated with clinical payment processes through innovative platforms such as its eClinicalGPS technology.

The European Commission reports that the number of clinical trials carried out in the European Union between 2007 and 2011 has dropped by 25 per cent, with applications down from over 5,000 in 2007 to 3,800 in 2011, while administrative costs have doubled. This trend has been attributed to the 2001 Clinical Trials Directive, which imposed tighter controls on monitoring and reporting drug trials. Currently, companies or researchers seeking to conduct clinical trials in more than one EU country must submit separate applications and reports in each country. Under the proposed new system, applicants will only have to submit this information once. The new regulation streamlines this process in order to make pan-Europe an attractive place to conduct trials. According to John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, the new legislation could save over 800 million euros per year in regulatory costs.

John Blakeley, Chief Commercial Officer of Greenphire, voiced his support of the proposed regulation, saying: “Greenphire welcomes new measures to facilitate the implementation of cross-border clinical trials and ease administrative burdens. In addition to achieving its main goal, this legislation will also benefit research in areas such as rare diseases where there may be only a few subjects in each country, and which may otherwise face bureaucratic obstacles."

Blakeley continued, "Greenphire currently helps trial sponsors to implement studies across multiple geographies through our global web-based clinical payment management platform, the eClinicalGPS. In contrast to  more expensive and time consuming manual paper-based payment processes currently used in clinical research, Greenphire's automated electronic system enables sponsors and CROs to automatically distribute payments in over 200 currencies to all investigators, sites and vendors globally.”

To arrange an interview with John Blakeley, please contact the Greenphire team at The Scott Partnership by emailing greenphire@scottpr.com or calling +44 1477 539539.

For further information on Greenphire and its innovative solutions please email: mailto:sales@greenphire.com, call +1 215.948.9251or visit www.greenphire.com.

About Greenphire:

Greenphire is a clinical technology company, headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, which offers web-based clinical payment technology platforms for use by research sites, research universities, sponsors and CROs. Greenphire's clinical payment technologies are designed to automate calculation workflows, approval workflows and execute payments to patients, research sites and clinical vendors on a global basis, in local currency, through a single web portal platform.  Greenphire's technologies are designed to streamline operations, reduce administration, reduce costs and provide analytics and other business intelligence that has not been readily available in the past.

Greenphire's global patient payment technology also incorporates automated electronic messaging functionality that, when combined with payment functionality, effectively improves the clinical experience for patients and sites, drives positive patient behavior to increase patient retention and protocol compliance, and significantly reduces site and study team administration. Learn more about Greenphire’s innovative clinical payment solutions at www.greenphire.com.

The Scott Partnership Appoints Director of Client Services and Business Development in North America

The Scott Partnership Appoints Director of Client Services and Business Development in North America

With a 20-year career in communications, Mario Fante will drive the US business of leading global B2B PR and marketing communications agency

Cheshire, UK (24 July 2012) – The Scott Partnership (www.scottpr.com), a leading global business-to-business PR and marketing communications agency, today announced the appointment of Mario Fante as Director of Client Services and Business Development for North America. With over 20 years experience in global communications, and 12 years specialising in life sciences public relations, Mario has been appointed to support and expand The Scott Partnership’s US client base.

With leadership experience in agency, consulting and corporate environments, Mario is a seasoned communications professional working across a wide spectrum of the life sciences, including drug discovery and development, diagnostics,  DNA sequencing and analysis, informatics, and personalized medicine, as well as in environmental communications. Mario joins The Scott Partnership following his most recent position at PerkinElmer, where he took a leading role in building and driving its global public relations programme. (www.perkinelmer.com)

“As an agency with a compelling record of providing outstanding communications on both sides of the Atlantic, and matchless industry expertise, it is a privilege to become part of such a highly integrated team of top-flight professionals," comments Mario. “Given The Scott Partnership's commitment to making a real impact on behalf of its clients, as well as its skill in keeping ahead of global industry trends, we are very confident that the expansion of the US business will meet with great opportunities for success."

Kath Darlington, founder and CEO of The Scott Partnership, comments, “As a highly experienced and recognised global communications expert within the life sciences industry, Mario will integrate with and complement our growing team perfectly. Many of The Scott Partnership’s clients are headquartered in the US, making it a natural choice for us to appoint a US-based team leader. The company is continually growing and expanding its global footprint, with Mario’s appointment being another promising step forward in our global growth strategy.”

With sixteen years’ experience of working with clients in the science, healthcare, chemical and environment sectors, The Scott Partnership is based in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire with offices in the US and China. The company further expanded its portfolio last year by acquiring two specialist scientific marketing and PR companies Phoenix Marcom Ltd and Kapler Communications Ltd, both based in Cambridge.

About The Scott Partnership

Based near Manchester, UK, The Scott Partnership is a specialist business-to-business PR agency for the healthcare, scientific, technology and pharmaceutical industries, which has grown to become one of the leading communications consultancies in Europe. Founded in 1996, the company’s accelerated growth plan has seen it establish offices in Boston and Shanghai in the past three years as well as recent acquisitions of life science agencies Kapler Communications Ltd and Phoenix Marcom Communications Ltd.

For more information on The Scott Partnership, please call +44 (0)1477 539 539. Alternatively e-mail business@scottpr.com or visit www.scottpr.com.

ERT Acquires invivodata to Establish the Industry’s Most Experienced Provider of Clinical Outcome Assessment Solutions

ERT Acquires invivodata to Establish the Industry’s Most Experienced Provider of Clinical Outcome Assessment Solutions

PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 9 2012 - ERT, a global technology-driven provider of health outcomes services to biopharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs), announced today the acquisition of  invivodata, Inc, a leading provider of electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) solutions and Consulting services, based in Pittsburgh, PA.

The transaction was facilitated by the San Francisco-based private equity group, Genstar Capital, LLC who last week announced that they had completed the acquisition of ERT.  The acquisition immediately positions ERT as a leader in Clinical Outcome Assessments (COA).  The combined organization will now offer sponsors, CROs and other third-party vendors a combination of market-leading electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO)/COA solutions and scientific and regulatory consulting services that is unrivalled in the industry. The invivodata Consulting group bolsters ERT’s position as the scientific thought leader in Health Outcomes Research and complements its market leading position in Cardiac safety and Respiratory outcomes assessment. The acquisition also enhances ERT’s multi-mode ePRO product portfolio with the introduction of a suite of proven site-based and patient-friendly handheld devices that have already been validated to collect therapy-specific diaries, instruments and assessments.

invivodata reported record growth in 2011, stemming from the addition of over 160 clinical projects.  Three consecutive years of growth in bookings, revenue, and profitability has led the company to substantially increase headcount, enabling it to meet the growing needs of its worldwide customer base.  The market for the collection of clinical outcomes data is set to grow by over 50% in the next three years, according to industry reports, and ERT is ideally positioned to grow in this segment and capitalize on its established track-record of innovation to create value for its sponsors and CRO partners with a suite of clinician and patient-centric solutions.

Dr Jeffrey Litwin, ERT’s CEO, states: “For some time, ERT has been working in collaboration with sponsors and partners to establish a new model of delivering value through the centralization of Health Outcomes data. ERT is a leader in providing cardiac safety and respiratory solutions and, by adding invivodata’s team of scientists and technology experts, we accelerated this strategic initiative, which will provide our joint clients with consistent, scientifically accurate Outcome Assessment data which will be accessible from one platform.We are delighted to welcome the new team aboard.”

“Our dedicated team of employees has worked tirelessly over the past 12 years to build a company that delivers true value to our customers,” commented Doug Engfer, CEO of invivodata. “Becoming a part of ERT will enable us to enhance the value we deliver.  We truly appreciate the trust our customers have placed in us, and we look forward to expanding those relationships with our new colleagues at ERT.”

For further information on ERT and its technology and services, please email info@ert.com, call +1 215 972 0420 or visit www.ert.com

For further press information, please contact Patrick Hughes by email, phughes@ert.com, or phone +44 (0) 7703 532 749.

About ERT

ERT (www.ert.com) is a global technology-driven provider of health outcomes research services supporting biopharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) to achieve their drug development and healthcare objectives. ERT harnesses leading technology coupled with reliable processes and scientific expertise to collect, analyse and report on clinical data to support the determination of health outcomes critical to the approval, labeling and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products. ERT is the acknowledged industry leader in centralized cardiac safety, respiratory efficacy services, electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) and Clinical Outcome Assessment solutions.

About invivodata

invivodata (www.invivodata.com) is a fully-integrated Clinical Outcome Assessments (COA) organization delivering regulatory-proven strategic consulting and practical electronic solutions to biopharmaceutical companies who depend upon patient-centered research.  From reliable and scientifically sound consulting that helps research teams effectively develop, execute, and document COA strategies to electronically collecting COA data in global clinical development programs, invivodata helps its customers strategically use patient, clinician, and observer reported outcomes data (PROs, ClinROs & ObsROs) to support labeling claims, enhance reimbursement strategies, and meet other clinical program objectives. Through partnerships with leading CROs and eClinical technology providers, invivodata seamlessly integrates into the clinical trial ecosystem, helping to minimize operational risk and maximize efficiencies.

About Genstar Capital

Genstar Capital (www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high quality companies for more than 20 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of operating executives and strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into leading industry businesses. Genstar has more than $3 billion of committed capital under management and targets investments focused on selected sectors within the life science, healthcare services, software and software services, insurance and financial services, and industrial technology industries.

AndersonBrecon and The Black Mountains Lions Club Join Forces to Launch New “Message in a Bottle” Campaign

AndersonBrecon and The Black Mountains Lions Club Join Forces to Launch New “Message in a Bottle” Campaign

Pioneering scheme will help emergency services improve patient care

Powys, UK (July 5, 2012) - AndersonBrecon, a leading provider of contract packaging services to the global healthcare market, has collaborated with the Black Mountains Lions Club to launch a new campaign that will help the emergency services in the region to speed-up patient diagnoses and improve patient care.  The launch of the pioneering “Message in a Bottle” campaign aims to encourage vulnerable people to store their basic medical details in a convenient place, so that they can easily be accessed by paramedics in the case of a medical emergency. The scheme is currently being rolled out across Hay-on-Wye and its surrounding areas.

The ‘Message in a Bottle’ campaign requires those taking part to keep a record of their medical history and any prescribed medication in a special bottle in their fridge where it can be found by responding emergency services. The emergency services will be made aware that the patient is taking part in the scheme by the presence of a sticker on their front door and fridge. The campaign is being widely supported by regional ambulance services, the police, emergency doctors and NHS Primary Care, who are all working together to raise awareness of the initiative within the community.

To get the new campaign off the ground, staff from all departments of AndersonBrecon donated their time and energy to developing the scheme and, to date, approximately 3,000 containers have been labelled, filled and sealed and are ready to be supplied to the local community by the Black Mountain Lions Club.

David James from the Black Mountains Lions Club, comments: “We are delighted to be teaming up with AndersonBrecon on this exciting campaign and we are grateful to everyone at the company for such a wonderful team effort that will save vital time for the emergency services and improve patient care”.

“We are proud to be a part of the local community and we want to support people in the area with the launch of this valuable campaign. We hope the scheme will offer great assistance to our emergency services who do such a great job of looking after the local community”, adds Peter Belden, managing director, AndersonBrecon UK. He continues, “This venture would not have been possible without the goodwill and assistance of AndersonBrecon’s staff and the enthusiastic collaboration of some of our key business partners”.

While AndersonBrecon supplied its facilities, manpower and containers, the company is grateful to Payne at Cardiff for providing external Green Cross Emergency labels, Chesapeake Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Packaging for providing promotional literature and to Massmould Ltd. for donating the bespoke green snap closure caps for the bottles. All the resources and raw materials were donated free of charge.

For more information on AndersonBrecon and its services, please visit www.andersonbrecon.com or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andersonbrecon.

About The Black Mountains Lions Club

Black Mountains Lions Club was founded in 1973, and is part of the world-wide organization. The association network of men and women work together to answer the needs that challenge communities across the world. The club predominantly serves the local community based in and around Hay-on-Wye and Talgarth.

With the generosity and assistance of local community, the Club has raised several thousands pounds, which has all been spent on charitable projects.

For more information, go to www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/blackmtns/

About AndersonBrecon

AndersonBrecon is the premier services provider to the pharmaceutical industry, with a global, seamless offering supporting each milestone of the healthcare product lifecycle.  Providing unparalleled expertise in clinical trial support, analytical services, qualified person consultancy, commercial packaging and storage, AndersonBrecon works with a wide range of clients from small, ‘virtual’ companies to global pharmaceutical organisations, supporting them from the earliest stages of R&D through to full commercialisation.

Wholly owned by AmerisourceBergen, AndersonBrecon has a global footprint through strategic locations in USA and UK, with 12 state-of-the-art facilities and more than 1,500 staff. AndersonBrecon’s gateway to Europe and Asia is located in Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire. Expanding rapidly to meet customer demand, it recently enhanced its capacity with a new 23,000 sq. ft. storage and distribution facility and a 4,000 sq. ft. speciality pharma centre dedicated to potent compounds.

For more information, go to www.andersonbrecon.com.

Genstar Capital Completes ERT Acquisition In A Take-Private Transaction

Genstar Capital Completes ERT Acquisition In A Take-Private Transaction

PHILADELPHIA, PA, 3 July 2012 - ERT, a global technology-driven provider of health outcomes services to biopharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs), announced today that Genstar Capital, LLC, has completed its acquisition of the company in a take-private transaction valued at approximately $400 million.

Dr. Jeffrey Litwin, who will continue to lead ERT as CEO, said, “As a private company we will continue to serve our customers and enhance our suite of products. We have been able to grow our company into a global leader, and, with Genstar’s partnership, we will look for creative new ways to grow our business organically and identify new investment opportunities as part of our continued development.”

“ERT is already the global leader in its sector yet we believe the company can benefit from our expertise in the pharmaceuticals industry to create positive change that will drive operations at an increased pace,” said Robert Weltman, Managing Director of Genstar.  “This is a sector we know well, and the added strength of our operating partners and strategic advisory board will help build ERT into a stronger independent platform company. We are eager to work with ERT’s management team to position this compelling company for sustained growth by implementing growth oriented strategic initiatives, including establishing more strategic relationships with customers and identifying new expansion opportunities.”

For further information on ERT and its technology and services, please email info@ert.com, call +1 215 972 0420 or visit www.ert.com

About ERT

ERT (www.ert.com) is a global technology-driven provider of health outcomes research services supporting biopharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) to achieve their drug development and healthcare objectives. ERT harnesses leading technology coupled with reliable processes and scientific expertise to collect, analyse and report on clinical data to support the determination of health outcomes critical to the approval, labelling and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products. ERT is the acknowledged industry leader in centralized cardiac safety, respiratory efficacy services, electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) and Clinical Outcomes Assessment solutions.

About Genstar Capital, LLC

Genstar Capital (www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high quality companies for more than 20 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of operating executives and strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into industry-leading businesses. Genstar has more than $3 billion of committed capital under management and targets investments focused on selected sectors within the life science, healthcare services, software and software services, insurance and financial services, and industrial technology industries.

Media Contacts

ERT:
Patrick Hughes
Tel: +44 7703 532 749                                      
phughes@ert.com

Genstar:
Chris Tofalli
Chris Tofalli Public Relations
Tel: 914-834-4334