LIMSource News: What's New in October 2009

• LabHQ Introduces New LIMS

• Autoscribe Announces New Website Focused on the Company's LIMS, Stability and Sample Tracking Software Products

• Autoscribe Announces Sample Tracking Solutions for Medical Applications

• Public Health Agency in Major US Metropolis Expands STARLIMS License to Cover Clinical Testing, H1N1

• STARLIMS Licensing Agreement Expanded with Consumer Goods Company

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Lands Record Project for LIMS in Brazil

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Implements LIMS for The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)

• Autoscribe Announces RadioPharmacy LIMS

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Delivers LIMS Solution to BRI Pharmaceutical Research

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Hosts Free Webinars for Laboratory Informatics Professionals in China and Australia

• STARLIMS LIMS and SDMS Selected for Nationwide Forensic Project in the Pacific Rim

• ChemSW and 3E Company Announce Integration and Distribution of Ariel Regulatory Data with CISPro

• Nextrials Launches Upgrade forPrism Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management Platform

• SciVal Funding Software Locates Grant Opportunities

• ChromSword Group Releases New ChromSwordAuto Interface for Dionex Chromeleon Chromatography Data System Software

• Agilent Introduces Kalabie ELN Version 4.0

• Agilent Technologies Collaborates with Persistent Systems, Joins DriverCentral.net to Promote Multivendor Chromatography System Interoperability

• Agilent Reorganizes Analytical Groups

• Autoscribe Matrix LIMS Addresses Health & Veterinary Laboratory Requirements

• Autoscribe Introduces Waste Tracking Configuration for Matrix Tracker

• Ariadne Launches Pathway Studio Version 7 Software for Mechanistic Modeling of Biological Processes and Disease

• MATLAB Mark 22 Release of the NAG Toolbox for MATLAB Numerical Toolkit Now Available

• American Peptide Adds R&D Group to Enhance Technology Capabilities

• BioInquire Receives Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Grant

• ALA's Biz-Dev Business Development Forum Returns to LabAutomation2010

• Varian Stockholders Approve Merger with Agilent Technologies

• Dionex Enters into Agreement with ESA Biosciences to Acquire the Assets of ESA Life Sciences Tools Business Unit

• Zumatrix Appoints New Representatives

• BioInformatics, LLC Publishes New Report: The Market Outlook for Research Products in FY2010

• ClinicalTrials.gov Now Requires Adverse Event Data Submission

• FDA Provides First Draft Guidance on REMS for Drugs and Biologics

• FDA Proposes Streamlined Framework for Combo Product cGMPs

• FDA Determines Supplier Audits, Qualification Needed to Protect Supply Chain

• FDA to Announce New Risk Communication Plan

• FDA Process Validation Guidance Expected in November

LabHQ Introduces New LIMS

LabHQ Ltd., a young and dynamic company that provides Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to businesses of all sizes throughout a range of industries, has introduced LABHQ LIMS. LabHQ customers will benefit from both a locally installed LIMS application combined with the added advantage of laboratory data fully accessible via the web. Laboratory data is securely accessible wherever there is an internet connection anywhere in the world. The software is based on Software as a Service (SaaS) principles and is offered on a cost effective rental basis to be an affordable option for small and large scale laboratories alike. There are no contractual obligations and the subscription can be cancelled at any time with one month notice. This is a completely risk free option for any business with absolutely no capital outlay or hidden costs involved in the purchase and set-up of the system. For details, visit http://www.labhq.co.uk.

Autoscribe Announces New Website Focused on the Company's LIMS, Stability and Sample Tracking Software Products

Autoscribe has announced a new website focused on the company's LIMS, Stability and Sample Tracking software products. The website was created based on input from global customers, prospects, distributors and staff. The new website feature Autoscribe’s Matrix Gemini LIMS, Stability and Sample Tracking software products as well as implementations across a variety of industries and laboratories. The new website can be accessed at http://www.autoscribelims.com.

Autoscribe Announces Sample Tracking Solutions for Medical Applications

Autoscribe has announced a new configuration of Matrix Tracker to address the needs for sample tracking within medical related organizations such as clinics, hospitals and relevant industries. Until now, most systems targeted at this application were either custom written and therefore expensive to support and hard to upgrade, or were commercial systems that delivered some of the required functionality, but were very rigid and difficult to change. Matrix Tracker is built using the extremely powerful and easy to use configuration tools. There is no custom code to support and no special scripts to write. It delivers most of the functionality required by the medical laboratories straight out of the box. However, as each organisation has some specific needs, they are satisfied by changes to the configuration files rather than by using custom code. Every Matrix Tracker system has the same source code. All definitions of screen appearances, menu designs, terminology, workflows and reports are contained in the configuration files. For example, Matrix Tracker is used to globally manage the inventory of samples for a major pharmaceutical company. It provides the current location of all tissues and slides in multiple studies across multiple sites. A complete history and chain of custody for each sample is captured and stored. For details, visit http://www.autoscribelims.com.

Public Health Agency in Major US Metropolis Expands STARLIMS License to Cover Clinical Testing, H1N1

ResponseSTARLIMS Technologies Ltd. has announced an expansion to its original contract with the public health agency of a major U.S. city. The new agreement provides an enterprise license for all of the agency’s divisions, extending STARLIMS to the city’s health providers to streamline specimen registration, tracking and reporting. The expanded licensing agreement increases the total contract value to approximately $1.3 million, including licenses for the Company's software, first year maintenance and professional services. The original agreement of May 2009 provided STARLIMS licensing for two of the agency’s four public health divisions, while the extended agreement covers all four divisions, including accelerated deployment in the divisions of Microbiology and of Virology and Immunology. The agency’s laboratories are responsible for testing more than 400,000 specimens annually. One of the drivers for this expansion was STARLIMS’s proven success helping public health agencies to meet the unique challenges of H1N1 influenza. "We are extremely gratified to see that the public health informatics expertise we have developed over years of collaboration with federal, state and local agencies will be fully utilized in this major metropolitan area,” said Jeff Ferguson, COO of STARLIMS. “Over the past months, we have collaborated in an intensely focused fashion with various public health agencies to help our partners respond rapidly and effectively to the H1N1 influenza virus. The tools we have developed will now be available across the public health divisions of this large metropolis, thanks to the expansion of our licensing agreement.” For details, visit http://www.starlims.com.

STARLIMS Licensing Agreement Expanded with Consumer Goods Company

STARLIMS Technologies Ltd. has announced that a global consumer goods company headquartered in the United States is exercising its option to expand its STARLIMS licensing agreement. Having completed the configuration phase of the project, the customer will now move towards enterprise-wide deployment, which will make STARLIMS’s LIMS and Scientific Data Management System (SDMS) available to the customer’s labs as well as hundreds of external users. Altogether, the expanded project increases the total contract value to $1.1 million, covering licenses for STARLIMS software, implementation services and first-year maintenance. By implementing STARLIMS’s web-based LIMS, the customer is creating an enterprise informatics system accessible throughout the manufacturing supply chain. Spanning research and development, manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance, the expanded system will make data available not only to the customer’s employees at multiple sites, but also to vendors, suppliers and trade partners on several continents. For details, visit http://www.starlims.com.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Lands Record Project for LIMS in Brazil

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc has announced that L.A. Falcão Bauer CTCQ Ltda (Falcão Bauer), a leading South American provider of services for instrument calibration and quality control, has selected SampleManager LIMS for use in its laboratories in Brazil. The new project is the largest LIMS contract for Thermo Fisher Scientific in Brazil to date. As part of a 12-month project, Falcão Bauer will integrate Thermo Scientific SampleManager LIMS with its NewAge enterprise resource planning (ERP) system across its 16 laboratories in Brazil. The LIMS implementation will automate the process from sample collection to results and report generation for Falcão Bauer's customers. The implementation project will also include integration of Thermo Scientific SampleManager LIMS with a range of laboratory instruments, including chromatography data systems (CDS) and ICP analytical instruments. The system will improve productivity and increase accuracy in the company's laboratories, enhancing efficiency and the quality of service provided by Falcao Bauer. Christiano Motta, IT coordinator for Falcão Bauer, comments: "The decision to invest in a standardized LIMS solution that can be leveraged throughout Falcão Bauer's operations enables us to continue to develop our service offering to existing and future customers. Thermo Scientific SampleManager LIMS will help us to streamline Falcão Bauer's operations and improve the automation of the laboratory functions, resulting in increased productivity and enhanced data sharing benefits." For more than 50 years, Falcão Bauer has performed tests and developed searches for the quality control of products and services offered by companies across Brazil. Located in Água Branca, Falcão Bauer is one of the most recognized and advanced technology centers in the country, providing consulting services for engineering, environmental quality and petrochemical industries. The company also undertakes a wide variety of materials and products testing for construction, chemical analysis and quality assurance of materials. For details, visit http://www.thermo.com/informatics or http://www.falcaobauer.com.br.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Implements LIMS for The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has announced that The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), a UK-based government organization, has implemented Thermo Scientific Nautilus laboratory information management system (LIMS) for use in its laboratory near York, UK. The LIMS is used to manage an archive of more than 50,000 samples, improving efficiencies and productivity across Fera's laboratory. As food safety becomes even more of a legislative concern in the United States and Europe, Thermo Fisher Scientific is at the forefront of providing the right products and consulting services to effectively meet the needs of international regulatory authorities and protect the safety of consumers around the world. Fera is an executive agency of Defra and provides robust evidence, rigorous analysis and professional advice, underpinned by world class research, to government, international organizations and the private sector. Fera was created in April 2009 by merging the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), Defra's Plant Health Division, Plant Health & Seeds Inspectorate, the Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division, and the Government Decontamination Service. Its purpose is to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment and protect the global community from biological and chemical risks. Fera is the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for the UK and Malta for chemicals in food, pesticides, veterinary drugs, dioxins and polychlorinated biophenyls (PCBs). NRL status means that Fera is officially responsible for setting up EU-wide standards for routine procedures and reliable testing methods. Fera manages more than 600 research projects, analyzing more than 50,000 plant and food samples a year. To establish credibility for its international work, Fera requires robust processes, and it decided that a single LIMS could support this objective instead of a number of smaller bespoke systems or manual processes. The LIMS would enable the worksheets across its laboratories. In addition, Fera recorded its analytical trend data manually, so it needed a LIMS system that could automate this information in an acceptable format to support internal investigation and reporting functions. For details, visit http://www.thermo.com/informatics.

Autoscribe Announces RadioPharmacy LIMS

Autoscribe has announced the availability of a new software solution for all RadioPharmacy laboratories that may be further integrated with Autoscribe’s PET and Environmental Monitoring LIMS. The system enhances traceability and accountability by auditing all actions and conforms to regulatory requirements from incoming orders through to production and transportation for regulatory compliance. Matrix Gemini RadioPharmacy LIMS fully manages all batch processing records, generators, raw materials and sundry items. Electronic Document Management ensures that the latest authorised version of SOPs / Methods are available to users at the touch of a button thereby preventing contamination and microbial infection. Inventory management with expiry dates makes sure that expired materials / sundries are automatically flagged and made unavailable for production use. Dose Calibrator check records, generator elution logs and QC test results are also stored and all workflows, procedures and checklists are followed and recorded. RadioPharmacy and PET LIMS may be used with touch screens, tablet PCs, virtual keyboards and barcodes. For details, visit http://www.autoscribelims.com.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Delivers LIMS Solution to BRI Pharmaceutical Research

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.has announced that BRI Biopharmaceutical Research Inc., a leading bioanalytical and DM/PK/ADME contract research organization, has selected Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS to help manage the bioanalytical and analytical chemistry data generated by the company's principal laboratories. This includes LC/MS/MS assays of specialized biomarkers, nucleotides, peptides and synthetic small molecule drugs in support of GLP PK/TK
pre-clinical studies and clinical phase I to IV trials. Watson LIMS will also be instrumental in managing BRI's in vivo and in vitro DM/PK/ADME studies. The selection of Watson LIMS for BRI's laboratories reflects the growing demand for specialized bioanalytical research services and supports BRI's strategic expansion internationally. BRI Biopharmaceutical Research Inc., which offers services for both bioanalytical LC/MS/MS and in vivo DMPK/ADME lines of business, has standardized on Watson LIMS across its facilities in Canada. The company supports drug discovery and development by offering a comprehensive and integrated range of services that help clients reduce the time it takes to bring new drugs to market. The addition of Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS to BRI's facilities will not only ensure timely delivery of quality results to clients, but will also improve the internal operational efficiency and profitability of the company. For details, visit http://www.thermo.com/informatics.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Hosts Free Webinars for Laboratory Informatics Professionals in China and Australia

Thermo Fisher Scientific will host a new series of free on-demand webinars for the laboratory informatics community in China and Australia. The webinars provide the tools to help informatics professionals meet the ongoing challenges of data management, regulatory requirements and the integration of laboratory instrumentation with enterprise systems. Delivered in both Chinese in China and English in Australia, the webinars are relevant to multiple industries, including pharmaceuticals, food safety, oil and gas and steel. Aimed at informatics professionals the informative webinars can be easily downloaded at http://www.thermo.com.cn/lims-webinar or http://www.instrument.com.cn/webinar.

STARLIMS LIMS and SDMS Selected for Nationwide Forensic Project in the Pacific Rim

STARLIMS Technologies Ltd. has announced that its web-based LIMS and Scientific Data Management System (SDMS) were selected by a government law enforcement agency in the Pacific Rim, in an agreement totaling $1.2 million for licenses and first-year maintenance. One of the key aims of the project is to enable the nationwide examination of casework concerning personal identification—in particular managing the data generated from the forensic DNA analysis of various biological samples including bloodstains, other bodily fluid samples, tissues, etc. The STARLIMS forensic LIMS and SDMS will be deployed at the national research center, facilitating information management and single-search data mining for the entire range of forensic disciplines. The enterprise-level STARLIMS system will be augmented by the STARLIMS Forensic Appliance, which will be installed throughout the agency’s regional police departments. “We are delighted that this government law enforcement agency has chosen STARLIMS for its nationwide implementation,” said Jeff Ferguson, COO of STARLIMS. “In addition to representing a significant step forward in our expansion in Asian markets, this decision also further validates that our forensic solutions match the needs of this highly regulated environment.” For details, visit http://www.starlims.com.

ChemSW and 3E Company Announce Integration and Distribution of Ariel Regulatory Data with CISPro

ChemSW, Inc., the leading provider of chemical and biochemical inventory management systems, and 3E Company, the world leader in chemical, regulatory and compliance information services, are pleased to announce an integration and distribution agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, ChemSW will integrate and distribute 3E Company’s Ariel™ Global Chemical and Regulatory Content which contains nearly 800 regulatory lists covering thousands of data elements spanning more than 75 countries around the world. Most significantly, the comprehensive Ariel data will be fully integrated with the industry-leading CISPro® chemical inventory system, providing users with instant access to up-to-date regulatory information about chemicals on site, whether in the lab or on the production floor. Using the Ariel Global Chemical and Regulatory Content with CISPro automatically flags chemicals that are subject to regulatory control by CAS numbers and associates those chemicals with the regulatory controls that affect them, such as SARA, Tier II, OSHA, DHS, and EPA as well as international regulations. This capability enables companies to meet regulatory control and reporting requirements quickly with minimal effort regardless of where the facility is located.
The Ariel Global Chemical and Regulatory Content is now available for purchase and use with both the CISPro Global and CISPro Live systems. For details, visit http://www.chemsw.com/RegLists.htm.

Nextrials Launches Upgrade forPrism Electronic Data Capture and Clinical Trial Management Platform

Nextrials, Inc., a leader in clinical research software and services, has launched a significant upgrade for its flagship electronic data capture and clinical trial management platform, Prism. In addition to its new, more intuitive user interface, Prism now offers expanded functionality and interoperability with electronic health records from multiple vendors. Prism users will immediately see improvements to its start page, where researchers can now evaluate project data from multiple studies organized into modules that can be easily collapsed and expanded for review. The “at a glance” statistics roll-up bar gives users fast facts such as enrollment status and data quality metrics. And with Prism’s newly streamlined structure, pop-up windows have been reduced in favor of intuitive layers within the browser, creating a more efficient work environment. Asignificant change to Prism is its interoperability with data platforms more traditionally found within the healthcare environment for creating and managing electronic medical records. This gives life science companies many more options for implementing studies using patients and sites that were previously unavailable. Major incentives included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will further promote the adoption of electronic medical records, increasing the number of potential sites that can benefit from Prism’s ability to mine data for clinical trials. For details, visit http://www.nextrials.com.

SciVal Funding Software Locates Grant Opportunities

Elsevier has launched SciVal Funding, a funding intelligence solution that helps researchers locate the most appropriate grant opportunities in order to maximize their potential to receive funding. Securing funding is an essential step in a researcher's workflow. Due to the labor intensive and demanding nature of the process, researchers may spend up to a third of their time seeking grant opportunities and preparing proposals--often with limited success. As research becomes increasingly multidisciplinary, collaborative and international, securing funding is inherently more competitive. Recognizing these challenges, SciVal Funding is designed to optimize the pre-award stages of the process, leading researchers and research administrators to grants with the greatest potential for success by integrating current funding opportunities with publication information and historical award data. SciVal Funding allows users to routinely search over 5,000 grant sources, including federal funding bodies and private foundations. Updated daily, funding opportunities can be explored by subject area, award type, deadline or amount. In addition, by fully cataloguing limited submission programs, research administrators may set up necessary internal review mechanisms in a timely way. Access to a comprehensive pool of funding opportunities as well as the ability to uncover new sources of financial support is especially critical in these difficult economic times. Moreover, the solution provides customized recommendations and alerts by matching funding opportunity data to pre-populated research profiles that are continuously updated. This eliminates the need to create a summary of each investigator's body of work and allows users to run searches on their own as well as other researchers' profiles. These recommendations can also serve as guideposts to junior faculty regarding which funding sources to pursue, particularly as the early grants in a young researcher's career are critical to building a solid track record. Another advantage of the solution is the integrated funding award information. The historical data on what grants were awarded to which researcher and at which specific institution, provides vital insight into the funding environment. This intelligence enables researchers to more accurately estimate their award chances, tailor their proposal, find collaborators and ultimately better compete for grants. Research administrators may also use this award information for performance measurement, evaluation and strategic planning purposes. For details, visit http://www.elsevier.com.

ChromSword Group Releases New ChromSwordAuto Interface for Dionex Chromeleon Chromatography Data System Software

The ChromSword Group has announced the release of a new Automated Method Development interface for its ChromSwordAuto product and the Dionex Chromeleon CDS software. This new interface was developed in cooperation with Dionex Corporation and allows combining Dionex UltiMate 3000 instruments with powerful tools for method development offered by ChromSword. The new solution uses Chromeleon software to control the instrument and sequence data and optimized instrument methods are stored in the Chromeleon database for later use. The ChromSwordAuto interface features include automatic search for optimal separation conditions including column switching, solvent selection, and gradient optimization. The options are set in the ChromSwordAuto interface and automatically transferred to Chromeleon software. "The new solution makes method development a lot easier, especially when combined with the column and solvent switching capabilities of the UltiMate 3000 HPLC product line,” said Andreas Brunner, Product Manager, Chromatography Software, LSBU Dionex. Dr. Sergey Galushko, head of the ChromSword Group development team, states, “Chromeleon and ChromSwordAuto are very powerful software systems. The combination of ChromSwordAuto intelligent method development tools with Chromeleon flexible instrument control functionalities will provide a major benefit to our customers. Using ChromSwordAuto and Chromeleon in tandem allows a chromatographer to run all method development tasks fully automatically: this includes method scouting, impurity profiling, fine optimizations, and robustness tests. I am confident that this combination will substantially reduce method development time for Chromeleon and ChromSwordAuto users.” The ChromSword Group is an organization of international scientists, analytical and physical chemists, mathematicians and programmers dedicated to the automation of chromatographic method development and validation processes. ChromSword products are used worldwide for computer-assisted and fully automatic method development. For details, visit http://www.chromsword.net.

Agilent Introduces Kalabie ELN Version 4.0

Agilent has introduced the Agilent Electronic Lab Notebook 4.0. The Agilent ELN 4.0 is a web-based, highly scalable software solution that can increase productivity by improving cross-team collaboration. Lab managers and scientists can now seamlessly share data and results organization-wide. The new ELN features include the ability to: Capture data and results with best-in-class dynamic forms; Cut costs and reduce cycle times by using analytical request workflows; Import data directly using Smart Import; and, Document, store and share large-scale projects lab-wide by integrating with OpenLAB ECM. For details, visit http://www.agilent.com.

Agilent Technologies Collaborates with Persistent Systems, Joins DriverCentral.net to Promote Multivendor Chromatography System Interoperability

Agilent Technologies Inc. has expanded its commitment to open systems for chromatography data systems (CDS) by announcing a collaboration with Persistent Systems, a leader in software product development services, and by joining the DriverCentral.net instrument driver portal. Multivendor instrument connectivity is a core need in many laboratories because scientists often operate diverse instrumentation from multiple vendors in a single laboratory. For efficient lab operation and easy sharing of instruments and data, labs require a single data system to manage all their instruments and create reports in a common format. Control for multivendor instrumentation is a core functionality of Agilent’s EZChrom Elite CDS and OpenLAB enterprise platforms, with support for more than 20 vendors. Led by Persistent, DriverCentral.net is the industry’s first independent device-driver portal for analytical instrument driver purchase. DriverCentral is seen as a breakthrough for purchasing and managing drivers for analytical instruments. Agilent is collaborating with Persistent Systems in three main ways: Transferring many of its non-Agilent instrument drivers to Persistent Systems for further development and support; Providing documentation on its RC.NET technology to convert legacy drivers to the new standard and develop new drivers based on RC.NET; and Joining DriverCentral.net to make its own analytical instrument drivers available through the portal. For details, visit http://www.DriverCentral.net or http://www.persistentsys.com or http://www.agilent.com.

Agilent Reorganizes Analytical Groups

Agilent Technologies has announced the separation of its Life Science and Chemical Analysis Group into two businesses, Chemical Analysis and Life Sciences. The change in structure reflects the growth opportunities of each business and supports Agilent's continued evolution as a leading bio-analytical company. Effective immediately, Mike McMullen has been promoted to SVP of Agilent and president of the Chemical Analysis Group. Similarly, Nick Roelofs has been promoted to Agilent SVP and president of the Life Sciences Group. Each had previously been vice president and general manager of his respective unit. Bill Sullivan, Agilent president and CEO, said, "The decision to create two separate businesses within bio-analytical measurement reflects the need to serve distinct sets of customers, along with Agilent's commitment to building a stronger presence in bio-analytical markets." Agilent will be comprised of three separate business groups--Electronic Measurement, Chemical Analysis and Life Sciences--effective Nov. 1, 2009, for reporting purposes. In late July, Agilent announced that it was purchasing Varian Inc., a manufacturer of analytical lab instrumentation and consumables with revenues in 2008 of $1 billion. The acquisition broadened Agilent's applications and solutions offerings in Life Sciences, Environmental, and Energy and Materials. It also expanded Agilent's product portfolio into atomic and molecular spectroscopy; establishes a leading position in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), imaging and vacuum technologies; and strengthened its consumables portfolio. The purchase was expected to close by the end of 2009. No mention in the current Agilent reorganization was made regarding implications of the Varian purchase. For details, visit http://www.agilent.com.

Autoscribe Matrix LIMS Addresses Health & Veterinary Laboratory Requirements

Autoscribe's Matrix Gemini is a fully configurable LIMS/LIS for all Health and Veterinary, Clinical and Pathology Laboratories, that delivers an identical user experience no matter whether a LAN, WAN or the Web is used. Users can easily manage creation of submission forms; barcode labels; registration of cases & samples; printing and emailing of customer reports, pricing and quotations and invoicing. Full audit trail, version control and e-signature for GLP and regulatory compliance. The system can also be used to manage customer stock levels / inventory and can be interfaced to laboratory instruments. For details, visit http://www.autoscribelims.com/industries/health-vet-path-lims.

Autoscribe Introduces Waste Tracking Configuration for Matrix Tracker

Autoscribe has announced a new configuration of their Matrix Tracker system to address the needs of people involved in tracking waste. Until now, most systems targeted at this application were either custom written and therefore expensive to support and hard to upgrade, or were commercial systems that delivered some of the required functionality, but were very rigid and difficult to change. Matrix Tracker is built using extremely powerful and easy to use configuration tools. There is no custom code to support and no special scripts to write. It delivers most of the functionality required for waste tracking straight out of the box. However, as each organization has some specific needs, they are satisfied by changes to the configuration files rather than by using custom code. Every Matrix Tracker system has the same source code. All definitions of screen appearances, menu designs, terminology, workflows and reports are contained in the configuration files. For details, visit http://www.autoscribelims.com.

Ariadne Launches Pathway Studio Version 7 Software for Mechanistic Modeling of Biological Processes and Disease

Ariadne has released Pathway Studio version 7, Desktop Edition. Pathway Studio software is used broadly in Academia and Industry to facilitate research of molecular biology, experimental data analysis, drug discovery and development, and plant genomics research. The new Pathway Studio 7, which includes the Desktop software, ResNet Mammalian database, and MedScan Reader software brings many new features, including: Regenerated and more robust ResNet Database; More pathway building and visualization tools; Improved data and software support for analysis of miRNA; Next generation of literature extraction technology; Improved training tools; New enrichment analysis results data; Metabolic pathways; Updated Ariadne Ontology; Expanded support for import of experimental data; and, Expanded entity ID annotation. The ResNet 7 Mammalian database has been completely rebuilt, incorporating Ariadne’s latest generation of literature extraction technology and has been curated utilizing our proprietary technology to reduce errors, redundancy, and to improve usability of the database. In addition, the new MedScan Reader incorporates Ariadne’s third-generation of Knowledge Extraction technology software replacing Ariadne’s previous Natural Language Processing engine. Ariadne’s Pathway Studio software enables researchers to model disease, drug and toxicity mechanisms using the vast amounts of published information and then continues to evolve these models by integrating experimental data and in-house data. For details, visit http://www.ariadnegenomics.com.

MATLAB Mark 22 Release of the NAG Toolbox for MATLAB Numerical Toolkit Now Available

Scientists seeking a broad range of mathematical and statistical functionality important to a wide range of scientific research fields without the considerable expense and bother of sourcing multiple MATLAB toolboxes, can now access 1,415 rigorously tested numerical routines in the Mark 22 Release of the multipurpose NAG Toolbox for MATLAB.
This one-stop solution for scientific researchers’ computing needs also allows scientists to easily and confidently migrate prototype code developed in the MATLAB environment to final production code in advanced programming languages such as C or FORTRAN while still using the same robust algorithms. NAG is renowned for the quality of its documentation and example programs to assist users. In addition, this release of the NAG Toolbox for MATLAB includes more than a dozen quickly accessible MATLAB-based examples of advanced programming for optimization problems, simulations, time series analyses and other functions important to solving complex scientific problems. NAG Toolbox for MATLAB is available for both Linux and Microsoft Windows. For details, visit http://www.nag.com/numeric/MB/start.asp.

BioInquire Receives Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Grant

BioInquire, LLC has announced the award of a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant totaling $747,000. The grant, entitled Development of Software for Comparative and Quantitative Clinical Proteomics, was awarded by the National Institute of Health. Specifically, the two year program supports the continued development of BioInquire’s proteomics software suite, ProteoIQ. The primary objective of the program is to create a fully integrated software platform that is particularly well suited for large clinical proteomic studies. "While software applications exist for validation and quantitation of MS/MS data, no current product adequately addresses the needs of researchers doing large scale clinical proteomics,” said James Atwood, co-founder and CEO of BioInquire. “The award will allow us to bridge that technology gap by providing a software solution that will enable the comparison of proteomic data across hundreds of patients. Our goal is to serve as a critical link between the initial analyses of raw MS data to the realization of meaningful discovery.” The original program was started with a Phase I STTR in January of 2008, and BioInquire announced the commercial release of ProteoIQ in June of 2008. "ProteoIQ combines label-free or reporter ion quantification with data mining functions to assist researchers in finding differences between multiple proteomic data sets,” said Brent Weatherly, co-founder and CTO of BioInquire. “We are particularly excited about the future developments in ProteoIQ, as it represents an integral part of BioInquire’s mission to provide software that fuels the scientific discovery process.” For details, visit http://www.bioinquire.com.

American Peptide Adds R&D Group to Enhance Technology Capabilities

American Peptide Company, a leading innovator in peptide manufacturing and peptide-based services, has announced the formation of a new research and development group. Created to offer more robust technology capabilities to a growing roster of global pharmaceutical and biotech customers, the R&D group will be based at the company’s Sunnyvale, California facility and will be tasked with the development of innovative new products and services. Peptide drugs are rapidly increasing in complexity, now requiring challenging modifications, incorporating unnatural amino acids, and being linked to carrier molecules to enhance drug delivery efficacy. Designed for indications to treat ailments such as diabetes, HIV, neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, peptides have tremendous therapeutic potential, but can be difficult to synthesize to the high quality necessary for research and commercial production. American Peptide Company has instituted the R&D group to help meet this industry need and provide peptide solutions to the drug development community. For example, the R&D group has been instrumental in the development of the company’s glycosylation technology. This technology is used to attach oligosaccharides to bioactive peptides or proteins and significantly enhances their therapeutic properties, increasing stability and solubility, reducing antigenicity (immunogenicity) and better controlling internal clearance. Likewise, the company’s PEGylation technology, whereby a peptide is modified by attaching poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), can significantly improve drug performance. The benefits of PEGylation include mitigated immunogenicity, avoiding reticuloendothelial (RES) clearance, reduction of renal filtration, and increased half-life in vivo. "The new R&D group will better enable American Peptide Company to meet the complex and evolving needs of our global customer base,” says Takahiro Ogata, President & COO of American Peptide Company. “This initiative fits well with our broader company mission to provide Total Peptide Management solutions to drug researchers and developers pioneering solutions for improving human life. The R&D group and the technological capabilities they offer will ultimately help our customers more effectively drive bioactive peptides identified as potential drug targets through the discovery and development phase.” The R&D group also helps drive American Peptide Company’s focus on manufacturing complex peptides. Monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide peptide conjugations, multiple disulfide bridges, phosphorylated and biotinylated structures, are among the specialized capabilities the company offers. For details, visit http://www.americanpeptide.com.

ALA's Biz-Dev Business Development Forum Returns to LabAutomation2010

The Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA), a multi-disciplinary, non-profit scientific society serving diverse industries and technology sectors, has announced the return of Biz-Dev, its unique forum for high-caliber business-partnering discussions and prospecting at the organization’s annual conference, LabAutomation2010, January 23-27, 2010, in Palm Springs, CA, USA. "Today, we find ourselves in a transitional business climate emerging from economically stressed times. Intense competition and the need to innovate exists today as much as ever, but companies have streamlined and must focus on core opportunities. It is difficult for business and scientific leaders in large, small and start- up companies to find time to connect and cultivate strategic relationships,” says Jay Smith, ALA Marketing Advisory Group Chair. “Now more than ever, there is a need for dedicated time and space away from the traditional exhibit floor for business development professionals and strategic managers to be able to sit down one-to-one and brainstorm potential partnering synergies and opportunities.” Participation in the Biz-Dev Business Development Forum is free. Key features of Biz-Dev include quick-and-easy online automated meeting scheduling and room reservation capabilities. To learn more about Biz-Dev go to www.labautomation.org/LA10/bizdev.“Competition as well as the global economic uncertainties is putting pressure on companies to be creative and savvy about alternative market place development,” said Smith. “Biz-Dev gives companies of all sizes and industry sectors the right forum for quality, high-level strategic and exploratory discussions.” LabAutomation2010 is a five-day event bringing together laboratory automation scientists, academicians, engineers, business leaders and students from around the globe in conjunction with the world’s largest exhibition of laboratory technologies. LabAutomation2010 will host approximately 4,000 individuals from more than 40 countries, and showcases over 250 multi-national companies in its growing exhibition. For details, visit http://www.labautomation.org.

Varian Stockholders Approve Merger with Agilent Technologies

At a special meeting of stockholders held on October 5, 2009, Varian’s stockholders adopted the merger agreement entered into with Agilent Technologies, under which Agilent will acquire Varian for $52.00 per share in cash. Approximately 84 percent of the shares of Varian common stock outstanding as of August 12, 2009, the record date for the special meeting, voted to adopt the merger agreement. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Varian is a worldwide supplier of scientific instruments and vacuum technologies for life science, environmental, energy and applied research and other applications. The company provides complete solutions, including instruments, vacuum products, laboratory consumable supplies, software, training and support through its global distribution and support systems. Varian employs approximately 3,500 people worldwide and operates manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company had fiscal year 2008 sales of $1.0 billion, and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "VARI." For details, visit http://www.varianinc.com.

Dionex Enters into Agreement with ESA Biosciences to Acquire the Assets of ESA Life Sciences Tools Business Unit

Dionex Corporation, a leading provider of innovative liquid chromatography analysis systems, has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with ESA Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Magellan Biosciences, Inc., to purchase ESA Biosciences HPLC related products, HPLC clinical assays, laboratory services and assets. This acquisition will add three category-leading HPLC detector families to the Dionex HPLC product portfolio. The Corona Family of Universal Charged Aerosol Detectors (CAD) is the industry gold standard ‘universal’ HPLC detector family targeting pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical development, manufacturing and QA/QC processes. The Corona CAD detectors will be sold in conjunction with Dionex’s HPLC equipment, or directly on third party HPLC systems. The CoulArray and Coulochem detectors are the leading electrochemical detectors on the market targeting neuroscience, clinical, and metabolomics research applications. Combined with Dionex expertise in electrochemistry detection for carbohydrates and glycobiology, this acquisition will position Dionex as the leading provider of comprehensive electrochemistry solutions for liquid chromatography. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Dionex anticipates the transaction will generate additional revenue of $12–15 million and excluding one time charges will be slightly accretive in fiscal 2010. The transaction is expected to close by the end of September. For details, visit http://www.dionex.com.

Zumatrix Appoints New Representatives

Zumatrix has announced that they have appointed several new representatives for Autoscribe's Matrix Gemini LIMS Software and associated services in Florida and several Western United States. Zumatrix is the exclusive distributor for Autoscribe, Ltd. who develops and produces Matrix Gemini LIMS. All of the companies chosen enjoy excellent relationships with customers in their respective areas, developed over many years of service. They represent several very well known and respected analytical instrument companies and all have previous experience of selling LIMS. According to Peter Mansfield, President of Zumatrix, Inc; the purpose of these appointments is to better gain and retain the local, long-term relationships so important between a LIMS supplier and their customers. In Florida, Zumatrix will work with G&W Marketing out of Tampa. In the Rocky Mountain States (CO, AZ, UT, WY, NM), Zumatrix will work with Summit Scientific, Inc. of Littleton, CO. For the West Coast (CA, OR, WA, NV, HI), Zumatrix will work with Qwest Scientific Group of Redondo Beach, CA. Zumatrix will continue to supply all the technical services for Matrix customers, including installation, configuration, training and support. Mansfield confirmed that Zumatrix are seeking to appoint additional representatives in other areas to provide better, more convenient service to customers. For details, visit http://www.zumatrix.com.

BioInformatics, LLC Publishes New Report: The Market Outlook for Research Products in FY2010

BioInformatics, LLC has announced the pending release of its newest report, The Market Outlook for Research Products in FY2010. The 8.2 billion dollars appropriated to the NIH Scientific Research program by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is being earmarked for lab renovations, Challenge Grants, the Shared Instrumentation Program and research that spans multiple public and non-profit institutions, all of which will have an immediate and long-term impact on the life science tools industry. Comprised of responses from scientists with varying degrees of influence and purchasing authority in the lab, The Market Outlook for Research Products in FY2010 was designed to help provide insight as to how labs are going to allocate their budgets over the next fiscal year, how they are responding to the economic recession and where they believe their organizations are headed in FY2011. The report is scheduled to release in mid-November, and is available at pre-release pricing until October 30, 2009. The Market Outlook for Research Products in FY2010, includes detailed responses from nearly 800 scientists about their FY2010 budgets, planned expenditures and sources of funding. This study compares and contrasts FY2009 (actual) and FY2010 (projected) budgets in total, and by product category with a special focus on market segment and regional differences. European and U.S. scientists are asked about planned purchases of both consumables and instrumentation, and from what sources they expect to receive funding, with an emphasis on the ARRA. 61% of the survey respondents said that either they or someone in their lab applied for a recovery act grant. In this report, scientists also indicate planned instrument and consumable purchases by vendor. For details, visit http://www.gene2drug.com/reports/205/.

ClinicalTrials.gov Now Requires Adverse Event Data Submission

Clinical trial sponsors and others responsible for submitting data to the NIH registry ClinicalTrials.gov must now include adverse event information with other study results. The new requirement stems from the FDA Amendments Act that mandates registration of most clinical trials and requires the HHS to include adverse events that are serious or frequent in the registry and results databank for applicable clinical trials. For details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

FDA Provides First Draft Guidance on REMS for Drugs and Biologics

The FDA has issued a draft guidance on risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) for drugs and biologics, sparking concerns from industry that it may add too much time to the approval process. "The industry's key questions will include how much this will delay market growth," Les Funtleyder, an analyst with Miller Tabak, said. The drug and biologics industries also will want to know how much it will cost companies to administer REMS and what penalties they will face if they don't comply, Funtleyder added. For details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

FDA Proposes Streamlined Framework for Combo Product cGMPs

Under a new proposed rule, makers of components in co-packaged or single-entity combination products would have two options for showing compliance with current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) for drugs or biologics and quality system requirements for devices. For co-packaged or single-entity combination products, the rule proposes that companies demonstrate compliance with all cGMP regulations for each part of the product or use a streamlined approach. For details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

FDA Determines Supplier Audits, Qualification Needed to Protect Supply Chain

Manufacturers should secure their supply chains through testing and anticipate risks to head off issues such as the recent contamination of imported ingredients, FDA officials said at the Parenteral Drug Association-FDA 2009 Joint Regulatory Conference. The FDA is looking more closely at quality management systems as a first step toward that goal, FDA consumer safety officer Steven Wolfgang said. For details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

FDA to Announce New Risk Communication Plan

The FDA will announce a risk communication plan in the next few months as part of its efforts toward swifter reactions to quality issues, FDA Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein said at the Parenteral Drug Association-FDA 2009 Joint Regulatory Conference. "Better risk communication is a top priority at the agency," he said. For details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

FDA Process Validation Guidance Expected in November

The FDA expects to issue a final guidance on process validation by November 2009. A working group is reviewing comments to the draft version of the guidance stated Brian Hasselbalch, team leader for guidance and policy development in CDER's Division of Manufacturing and Product Quality. The draft recommends a team approach to process validation that includes expertise from areas including process engineering, industrial pharmacy, analytical chemistry, microbiology, statistics, manufacturing and quality assurance. For details, visit http://www.fda.gov.

What's New - October 2009 The following is a wrap-up of news of interest during the month of October 2009

What's New - October 2009
The following is a wrap-up of news of interest during the month of October 2009