HCL secures key framework position

London, UK, 29 May 2012 - HCL Workforce Solutions’ Nursing division has been awarded a place on the Healthtrust Europe (HTE) Framework for agency nursing and care services north region, completing a competitive tendering process that began back in October.

HCL Nursing Managing Director Helen Rudanec says the placing, which follows the award of the south region (excluding London) in November and the central region in September 2011, is a key factor in ensuring HCL continues to provide the best workforce solutions to clients and recruitment opportunities for nursing vacancy candidates.

“HCL Nursing is now an approved on-contract recruitment agency specialising in providing large volumes of temporary nurses to NHS Trusts and the private sector. Nursing jobs are always in demand and we successfully support over 100 clients across the country, filling over 2000 shifts every week,” Ms Rudanec said.

In addition to the HTE Framework, HCL Nursing is part of the London Procurement Programme (LPP) and Government Procurement Service (GPS).

“For HCL Nursing, being present on the GPS, HTE and LPP Frameworks means we can service clients on a nationwide basis regardless of whether they choose to stay with GPS or move to HTE, and this means our candidates have the opportunity to work with a range of the UK’s most prestigious hospitals and Trusts.”

LPP has become the favoured framework for agency nursing in London since its launch in May last year.

“LPP helps deliver the highest quality service while ensuring value for money. We are aware of other regional procurement hubs running their own competitive tendering processes for agency nurses and HCL Nursing intends to submit responses to these to ensure we have all the options available to supply to our market.”

HCL Nursing is composed of the prestigious brands Montagu, Orion, Temp-Aid and Medical Technical and is one of the UK’s leading nursing job and healthcare recruitment agencies, registering an average of 100 professionals each month.

“We have combined the experience and strong reputations of these brands in the UK nursing market to offer the best skills, resources and expertise to both our clients and candidates.”

For any further information, contact HCL Communications and PR Manager Laura Ackland on +44 (0) 207 451 1448.

About HCL plc

HCL plc, headquartered in London, was formed in 2003 and is the UK’s leading provider of staffing solutions in the health and social care sectors within our chosen markets. HCL supply over 2,000 temporary and permanent Doctors, allied health professionals, qualified social workers and administration & clerical staff to public and private sectors. We are an international company with offices in UK and Australia and recruitment drives in Europe and our company has approximately 340 employees in the UK (excluding affiliates) and serves over 800 Trusts and hospitals. Our six divisions comprise of HCL Healthcare, HCL Medical Technical, HCL Nursing, HCL Permanent, HCL Fairstaff and HCL Social Care.
Our Australian office, Healthcare Australia, employs thousands of healthcare professionals that service hundreds of healthcare facilities in every state and territory across Australia.

Please visit our websites at:

www.healthcarelocums.com or www.healthcareaustralia.com.au 

For UK updates or job information, follow us on Twitter: @HCLplc

For Australian updates or job information, follow us on Twitter: @HealthcareAus

Customer service levels remain strong at HCL Workforce Solutions

London, UK, 24 May 2012 - HCL Workforce Solutions’ consultants are recording record scores on their Customer Quality Assurance Feedback Reports this quarter, according to HCL’s latest internal research, compiled as part of their commitment to quality management certification.

HCL Head of Compliance Jackie Knowles says the satisfaction scores, which topped 93%, are indicative of the organisation’s hard-line focus on standards, transparency and the high calibre of staff.

“Over the last six months, HCL has been going through a reengineering process, with compliance and security sitting at the top of our agenda. Internally, we are driving quality management systems in the business to ensure that our policies and procedures sit at the heart of our business. We take these processes very seriously and we pride ourselves on our levels of customer service.”

Job candidates from HCL Healthcare, HCL Fairstaff and HCL Permanent are given the opportunity to comment about their experience with HCL on their booking forms, with many providing qualitative feedback on their dedicated health and social care recruitment consultants.

“These testimonials are invaluable to us as an organisation and we will tirelessly continue to invest in our staff, provide the best opportunities to our candidates and supply the highest quality service to our clients,” Ms Knowles said.

HCL consultants scored 91 per cent in Customer Quality Assurance Feedback Q1.
 

For any further information, contact HCL Communications and PR Manager Laura Ackland on +44 (0) 207 451 1448.

About HCL plc

HCL plc, headquartered in London, was formed in 2003 and is the UK’s leading provider of staffing solutions in the health and social care sectors within our chosen markets. HCL supply over 2,000 temporary and permanent Doctors, allied health professionals, qualified social workers and administration & clerical staff to public and private sectors. We are an international company with offices in UK and Australia and recruitment drives in Europe and our company has approximately 340 employees in the UK (excluding affiliates) and serves over 800 Trusts and hospitals. Our six divisions comprise of HCL Healthcare, HCL Medical Technical, HCL Nursing, HCL Permanent, HCL Fairstaff and HCL Social Care.

Our Australian office, Healthcare Australia, employs thousands of healthcare professionals that service hundreds of healthcare facilities in every state and territory across Australia.

Please visit our websites at:

www.healthcarelocums.com or www.healthcareaustralia.com.au

Greenphire awarded the PACT Enterprise Award for Technology Startup

King of Prussia, PA, 17 May, 2012 – Greenphire, the leading provider of payment technologies for the clinical trials industry, announced today that it has been awarded the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) Enterprise Award in the Technology Startup division. Greenphire and other Enterprise Award winners and finalists were recognized at the 19th Annual Enterprise Awards gala of 1,200 prominent business leaders on May 3, 2012 in Philadelphia.

The Enterprise Awards honor exceptional technology and life sciences companies and entrepreneurs in the greater Philadelphia region each year, with past ceremonies recognizing pillars of the healthcare and clinical trials community including Siemens Healthcare, BioClinica, and Shire Pharmaceuticals. The recognition followed an extensive vetting and selection process based on the finalist companies’ established success in delivering an innovative product, potential for growth, managerial ability, and demonstration of success via significant business milestones such as raising capital and achieving revenue growth.

Speaking at this year’s awards ceremony, PACT President and CEO Dean Miller commented on the role of Greenphire and other promising startup companies, saying “These startups are doing tremendous work that has great potential. For our region, they create jobs and provide business opportunity. But on a much wider scale they work to help improve the human condition…We’ve seen such a flurry of business activity over the past year, and businesses are growing and innovating. Venture money is starting to flow again, deal flow is ramping up, new products are rolling out the door, new partnerships are developing, and companies are hiring again. We can certainly feel the energy in the room. And it is that same energy and success that defines (Greenphire).”

Greenphire Co-Founder and CEO Sam Whitaker similarly expressed the company’s enthusiasm with the Enterprise Award, saying “It’s exciting to be recognized for the Enterprise Award. I’ve seen this award identify promising and ultimately thriving technology companies for years, and it’s a thrill for Greenphire to be a part of it this time around. It’s a true honor for me and the company, given the credibility and experience which PACT embodies.”

A full list of this year’s Enterprise Award winners and finalists can be found on the PACT website at http://pact.gpcc.com/.

About Greenphire

Greenphire’s clinical payment and communication solutions take a patient-centric and site-centric approach to driving data integrity and data completeness for sponsor, CRO, research university, and clinical research site clients. Greenphire’s web-based technologies are designed to improve the clinical experience for patients and sites, drive positive patient behavior, increase patient retention and compliance, and significantly reduce site and study team administration associated with patient payments and communication. Greenphire’s strategy is driven by the philosophy that empowered, satisfied patients and sites will deliver more consistent and better quality clinical data, which will in turn benefit both site coordinators and study teams. Learn more about Greenphire’s innovative clinical solutions at www.greenphire.com.

For further information on Greenphire and its innovative solutions please email: sales@greenphire.com, call +1 215-609-4640 or visit www.greenphire.com.

For further press information please contact Celine Goodier, The Scott Partnership, 1 Whiteside, Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire CW4 8AA, United Kingdom. Phone +44 1477 539539, Fax +44 1477 539540, Email greenphire@scottpr.com

Immediate Openings with Phoenix Marcom

Account Executives, Senior Account Executives, Account Managers: Immediate Opening for Dynamic Individuals in growing marketing agency

Salary £14k – 24k dependent on experience

Category: Advertising, Marketing , PR and Promotion

Ideal for:
Anyone wanting to break into PR and Marketing or progress quickly in growth environment.
Suitable for highly motivated self-starter. Must be open to international travel.

Must demonstrate good grammar and clear communication skills. A second language is a bonus. The successful candidate must want to write, as well as being able to self-edit and proof (approve) materials. Customer-facing skills and recognition that the customer needs to be first are important in this role.

The role is deadline-driven and requires a high level of prioritisation and self-motivation.
Qualifications: A degree with either marketing, journalism, business studies, languages or a science-based degree. Full clean driving licence. An interest and experience in social media tools.

Full-Time, Permanent. The role is located in Cambridgeshire, with national and international travel. Package includes holidays, parking, pension (after qualification period) and will provide development opportunities for successful candidates.

An immediate opening, all candidates must apply in writing to Carole Hogg via
carole.hogg@kapleronline.com. Interviews will take place in both Cambridgeshire and Cheshire.
Start Date: ASAP (Proposed Wednesday 6 June 2012)

Molecular Profiles and GEA Process Engineering Partner to Assess Early Screening of Poorly Water Soluble Drugs for Improved Solubility.

(Nottingham, 14 May 2012) Molecular Profiles, a leading specialist contract research and manufacturing organisation, announces that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with GEA Process Engineering - the company behind the world-recognized GEA Niro spray drying technology. Using the GEA Niro DRYNETICS^TM, single particle spray drying approach, the collaboration will assess early screening of poorly water soluble drugs and polymer compositions for the improvement in solubility.  This partnership further highlights Molecular Profiles’ comprehensive materials characterisation capabilities for supporting formulation development strategies through an expert assessment and understanding of the link between structure, function and stability.

Developed with the aim to ensure the improved screening of drug candidates earlier on in the development process, Molecular Profiles and GEA Process Engineering are working to develop a unique way of preparing solid dispersions of drugs and polymers.  The purpose is to understand the viability of the potential drug delivery platform at single particle scale by comparing with batch produced spray dried approaches. GEA Process Engineering is the world leader in process engineering, process equipment and plant engineering, specialising in the manufacture of products in powder, granular or agglomerate form in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. With 79 years experience in supplying spray drying solutions to the pharmaceutical industry, the Danish-based company has gained a wealth of data in this industry. The benefits of using the GEA Niro technology for this application are the ability to assess the stability of drugs in polymer systems where only an extremely limited amount of API is available and where multiple polymer types/drug loadings are required to be screened for developability.

Claire Madden-Smith at Molecular Profiles comments “We are pleased to have partnered with GEA Process Engineering on this project which enables us to collaboratively bring an innovative research approach to formulation development”.

Jesper Jensen, Research Engineer, GEA Process Engineering comments “The combined efforts of GEA Process Engineering and Molecular Profiles will rigorously test new approaches in spray drying formulations and we’re looking forward to be able to offer improved processes and efficiencies for formulation development”. 

The collaboration highlights Molecular Profiles’ ability to characterise the physicochemical properties of ‘single’ particle spray dried materials and compare with conventional spray dried material prepared at bulk scale. Griseofulvin-PEG6000 solid dispersion samples at 2.5 % and 20 % loading are analysed using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), confocal Raman microscopy, FT Raman/FTIR, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to compare surface vs. bulk properties and determine equivalence of the materials produced using the two processes.

More information about Molecular Profiles’ award-winning services is available at www.molprofiles.co.uk, by e-mail at info@molprofiles.co.uk or call Andrew Parker on +44 115 8718888.

About Molecular Profiles

Molecular Profiles was founded in 1997 by a group of pharmaceutical scientists specialising in advanced characterisation of pharmaceutical and biological materials. Since then, the company has achieved a unique global position in pharmaceutical R&D and has developed a wide portfolio of pharmaceutical development services including formulation & analytical development and clinical trial manufacturing up to and including Phase II. The company is ideally placed to offer its clients a range of targeted solutions to help them to overcome the most challenging issues in drug development. Molecular Profiles’ contribution to the industry was acknowledged in 2007 and 2011 by the receipt of the Queens Award for Enterprise in the innovation category, the most prestigious business honour achievable in the UK.

For further press information please contact: Celine Goodier, The Scott Partnership,  1 Whiteside, Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, CW4 8AA, United Kingdom.    

Tel:  + 44 1477 539 539 Fax: +44 1477 539 540 E-mail: molecular@scottpr.com.

Novozymes starts commercial supply of new and improved hyaluronic acid from Q7 cGMP facility

Novozymes has started supplying Hyasis^®, a novel pharmaceutical grade hyaluronic acid, from its newly opened Q7 cGMP facility. Hyasis sets a new standard for hyaluronic acid offering unprecedented safety, consistency and performance.

NOTTINGHAM, UK – May 9, 2012 – Novozymes Biopharma, part of Novozymes A/S, the world leader in bioinnovation, has announced the first shipment of the company’s Bacillus-derived hyaluronic acid, Hyasis^®, from its newly inaugurated manufacturing facility in China, which represents an investment of more than DKK 350 million. The first commercial products using Hyasis as a raw material are expected to reach the market in Q2 of this year.

“Shipment of the first commercial hyaluronic acid material from our new Q7 GMP facility marks an important milestone on our journey to becoming a leading producer of high quality hyaluronic acid. With our new patented process, based on the safe bacteria Bacillus subtilis, the market will have access to a new improved source of HA which is fully compliant with the highest pharmaceutical standards and developed with customers’ specific needs in mind”, says Thomas Videbæk, Executive Vice President of Novozymes A/S.

Hyasis has been specifically designed to fill a gap in the market for biomedical and pharmaceutical manufacturers looking for Q7 regulatory compliant ingredients with superior performance benefits.

“Improving how our customers can process and formulate HA for medical applications has been the key driver in the development of Novozymes’ new patented HA production process and facility”, comments Hans Ole Klingenberg, Global Marketing Director at Novozymes. “Our unique technology will expand opportunities in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries across multiple applications for HA, creating improved therapeutic treatments with real benefits for both manufacturers and patients.”

Novozymes’ focus on improving processes for its customers has resulted in a hyaluronic acid that offers a wealth of innovative advantages over competitive sources. Superior heat stability permits autoclaving without significant loss of product viscosity, and tight control of molecular weight during production allows for excellent control in formulations. Novozymes’ Hyasis also offers its customers unmatched batch-to-batch consistency in production at large-scale, and the capability of the product to dissolve five times faster than other sources can reduce processing times by up to 50%.

“We believe we have a very strong offering for the medical device and pharmaceutical markets. Not only is Hyasis manufactured in accordance with requirements for an active pharmaceutical ingredient, it also offers unrivalled safety, consistency and performance to the benefit of our customers and partners. In addition, customers will have access to our dedicated team of researchers who can help them solve their formulation problems, resulting in time and cost savings, manufacturing processes improvement and safer and more efficient treatments for patients. In this way, we are setting a whole new standard in the market and redefining the use of hyaluronic acid”, says Thomas Videbæk.

A critical component in the development of an improved biomedical grade HA has been the construction of the new manufacturing facility designed exclusively for Hyasis. Located in Tianjin, China, the facility employs a patented water-based process to manufacture Hyasis to Q7 cGMP standards. Working with raw materials that are already Q7 compliant can help medical device and pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to reduce testing time, minimize documentation requirements, save on manufacturing costs and take products to market faster.

First customers have been testing the product for some time with good results and Hyasis is now being sold to medical device and pharmaceutical customers. Thomas Videbæk says, “The market for pharmaceutical use of hyaluronic acid is estimated to have a size of DKK 1 billion. With regulations in the medical industry getting tougher and tougher, we believe we are well positioned in Novozymes to offer customers an improved source of hyaluronic acid that will comply with their long term needs – and with our long term investment in this new facility we aim to play a leading role in the market for hyaluronic acid for many years to come.”

For further information on Novozymes’ Hyasis, Bacillus-derived hyaluronic acid, please visit www.hyasis.com.

About Novozymes

Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries, we create tomorrow’s industrial biosolutions, improving our customers' business and the use of our planet's resources.

With over 700 products used in 130 countries, Novozymes’ bioinnovations improve industrial performance and safeguard the world’s resources by offering superior and sustainable solutions for tomorrow’s ever-changing marketplace. Read more at www.novozymes.com.

Manchester Evening News Editor Joins The Scott Partnership

Cheshire, UK (8 May 2012) – Former Manchester Evening News editor Maria McGeoghan has been recruited as director of strategy and operations at The Scott Partnership Holdings Ltd., the holding company of specialist business to business PR and marketing communications agency The Scott Partnership.

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. They further expanded their portfolio last year by acquiring two specialist scientific marketing and PR companies Phoenix Marcom Ltd and Kapler Communications Ltd, which are both based in Cambridge.

Kath Darlington, founder and CEO of The Scott Partnership commented : “We are a North-West success story, with operations growing on three continents. Maria joins the team to lead the strategy in our two Cambridge-based businesses, both of which are experiencing the growth that our group structure presents. Her solid foundation in the North-West of England will be an asset to us and as such, Maria will also help us strengthen our footprint locally, both in the UK and Europe. Our solid senior team will be enhanced by Maria joining us, as we take the business forward to exploit our many opportunities.”

Maria stepped down from her role as editor of the Trinity Mirror owned Manchester Evening News and editor-in-chief of 20 weekly newspapers in early April with a 30 year career in regional newspapers. She oversaw the launch of a weekly business magazine during her time at the MEN and presided over record online audience figures for the website.

“The Scott Partnership is a real success story and I am delighted to be joining such a talented and enthusiastic team.” she said. “They are embracing new challenges in new markets and I look forward to working hard to help achieve TSP’s future ambitions.”


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.

Novozymes’ rAlbumin supports faster time to market for Neomend adhesion barrier sealant

NOTTINGHAM, UK – May 2, 2012 – Novozymes Biopharma, part of Novozymes A/S, a world leader in bioinnovation, has announced that its recombinant human albumin (rAlbumin), Albucult^®, is being used by Neomend in the company’s Progel^® Adhesion Barrier Sealant product which has recently received the European Union CE mark. Albucult, used as a key component in medical device applications, helps to facilitate regulatory compliance and enables a faster time to market due to its stable, safe and animal-free composition. The product’s high purity can help manufacturers manage and reduce both commercial and regulatory risk where source variability and safety profile are important considerations in the commercialization of drug and medical device products.  

David Renzi, Neomend’s President and CEO, comments: “Novozymes has an extensive understanding of the regulatory pressures its customers are facing and its quality-assured, consistent biopharmaceutical components make the company an ideal partner for Neomend. The Progel Adhesion Barrier Sealant CE mark is a vital milestone as it will enable us to help surgeons in Europe effectively prevent adhesions and its associated complications.”

Neomend uses Novozymes’ Albucult in its Progel Adhesion Barrier Sealant, a product that has been developed as a hydrogel adhesion barrier sealant that can be sprayed onto general visceral organs during open and laparoscopic surgery to help prevent post-operative adhesions. The addition of a CE mark will help Neomend to expand the distribution of its latest sealant across Europe. This is the second Neomend sealant that incorporates Albucult with the product already being used successfully in the company’s ProGEL^® PLATINUM surgical sealant.

“Novozymes is delighted that Albucult is being used as a key component in another CE marked medical device”, says Dermot Pearson, Marketing Director, Novozymes Biopharma. “It is a testament to the unique advantages conferred by the product and demonstrates our commitment to supporting customers throughout their regulatory process. We have a dedicated regulatory affairs team that monitors regulatory changes and trends, while working closely with relevant trade organizations to offer customers current, fast and efficient support for product registration.”

The use of Albucult as a key ingredient in medical devices offers a range of performance and quality benefits for medical applications not possible with animal-derived ingredients including an exceptional purity profile and sustainability of supply. Novozymes’ Albucult also ensures batch-to-batch consistency to reduce processing and testing times to drive product efficiency for customers looking for a compliant albumin alternative.

To learn more about Novozymes’ Albucult, please visit www.biopharma.novozymes.com.

To find out more about Neomend, please visit www.neomend.com.

About Neomend, Inc.

Neomend, based in Irvine, California, is a private company focused on the design, development and commercialization of surgical sealants and adhesion prevention products derived from the ProGEL technology platform. The company has a direct sales force of 30 people in the U.S. and holds 29 issued U.S. patents in chemical composition and delivery applicators. For more information, visit www.Neomend.com or call 949-916-1630.

About Novozymes

Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries, we create tomorrow’s industrial biosolutions, improving our customers' business and the use of our planet's resources.

With over 700 products used in 130 countries, Novozymes’ bioinnovations improve industrial performance and safeguard the world’s resources by offering superior and sustainable solutions for tomorrow’s ever-changing marketplace. Read more at www.novozymes.com.