• The U.S. IRB system now faces many major ongoing and planned structural changes. Consolidation in the fragmented market for IRB services may intensify. Established independent IRBs may be best position to emerge as winners in this transformation.

Article 262: Alternative Medicine Moves Ahead without Pharma

• Consumer usage of complementary and alternative therapies continues to grown significantly both as independent treatment and in conjunction with standard therapies. Annual government funding for research on alternative medicines is increasing rapidly. Although pharmaceutical companeis remain reluctant, health insurers and payers appear poised to sponsor clinical trials in this arena.

• In the wake of the Netherlands-based Good Clinical Practice's demise, U.K.-based Intercern is the only European SMO that operates in multiple European countries. The key to its survival has been a revision of its business strategy.

• CenterWatch Drug Intelligence has identified at least 34 experimental therapies moving through the clinical pipeline, representing approximately $175 million being spent on leukemia clinical research.