Article 453: Late Phase Studies Get Real

• Phase IIIb/IV is the fastest growing drug development phase. Sponsor companies', government's and the public's renewed focus on safety is one of the two major drivers of this growth. The other is the increased need for product differentiation in a marketplace where the decision making about which drugs get purchased is moving into formulary managers' hands and out of the hands of physicians.

Article 454: Top CROs Report Strong Growth Amid Warning Signs

• The CRO industry seems to have weathered the controversy swirling around SFBC, and industry growth prospects remain strong after a stellar 2005. While some companies have undergone additional audits, from both sponsors and regulators, during the past few months, the scrutiny has largely been limited to SFBC. However, serious injuries in a Parexel managed trial last month, raised new concerns for regulators and the industry.

Article 455: NCRN, Medidata Team Up to Fight Cancer in UK

• The collaboration between the United Kingdom's National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) and Medidata Solutions represents the first nationwide government-funded implementation of paperless clinical trial technology. NCRN has chosen to pilot Medidata Rave to manage and streamline data for eight clinical trials, with the potential to include 250 trials within NCRN's portfolio throughout the UK.

Article 456: Eye On: Addiction

• Addiction and substance abuse are increasing not only in frequency but in medical complications and direct and indirect costs. In the United States, 7.1% of the population used illicit drugs in 2001, up from 6.3% in 1999 and 2000.