July 12, 2016 | News and product updates from around the clinical trials industry include a cannabis trial, new options for trial payments, Medidata's Clinical Cloud in Asia, and more. 

Cannabis Clinical Trial

DSG, a leader in electronic data capture (EDC), has teamed up with Canada’s leading licensed producers of medical grade marijuana, Bedrocan Canada and Tweed, subsidiaries of Tweed Marijuana, to provide EDC and Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) services for the companies’ current large-scale in-country clinical study, the largest of its kind. The primary objective of the study, which is intended to continue for three years, include more than 50 sites, and enroll up to 6,000 patients, is to evaluate the quality of life of patients before and after treatment with medical cannabis. DSG’s product, eCaseLink, seamlessly combines EDC, ePRO, Risk-Based Monitoring, eSource, IWRS Randomization-Clinical Supply, Drug Safety, Site Payments and CTMS into a single harmonized system. DSG’s clinical study build tool makes initial EDC startup intuitive and fast, with unparalleled support services and hands-on training for self-build studies, used also by DSG’s team in providing full service SaaS software systems. Press release.

Expanded Capabilities for Trials Payment

Greenphire has announced expanded capabilities for its ClinCard solution, improving its ability to reimburse patients in more countries and currencies. This expansion will further empower global research sites, providing flexible, convenient reimbursement methods to simplify and streamline clinical trial operations. With this expansion, the ClinCard solution will reimburse global clinical trial participants via a reloadable debit card in their local currency, simplifying both the site and patient clinical trial experience through improved retention, engagement and overall operational efficiencies. ClinCard provides comprehensive control and visibility into patient reimbursements, critical for global studies. With the expansion, global trials gain financial transparency and consistency, further supporting compliance and reporting requirements. Press release.

Medidata Adopted by South Korean CRO

Medidata and LSK Global Pharma Services, a leading contract research organization (CRO) in South Korea, today announced that LSK Global PS has expanded its use of the Medidata Clinical Cloud platform. The Seoul-based organization is the first Korean company to implement Medidata CTMS. Established in 2000, LSK Global PS is a full-service CRO conducting hundreds of clinical trial programs on both a local and global scale. Specializing in a number of therapeutic areas—including oncology, cardiovascular and endocrinology, among others—LSK Global PS conducts Phase I-Phase IV studies, investigator initiated trials, post-market surveillance (PMS), and observational research, and provides data management services for its life sciences customers. LSK Global PS has been utilizing Medidata’s electronic data capture, management and reporting tool (Medidata Rave), medical coding solution (Medidata Coder), and unified randomization and trial supply management solution (Medidata Balance). To provide better oversight into trial operations and streamline its site monitoring processes, the CRO is now adopting Medidata’s clinical trial management system, Medidata CTMS. Press release.

Quintiles Opens Solution Design Studio

Quintiles has opened its global Solution Design Studio where expert teams will collaborate to create technology solutions that tackle some of healthcare’s biggest challenges. The Studio is a highly interactive technology-driven environment featuring digital-simulation capabilities and proven early-development processes that drive innovation and rapid problem solving. Quintiles’ customers, its therapeutic and domain experts and key healthcare stakeholders will join the Studio’s team of simulation analysts, wearable and virtual reality experts, user-interface designers and app developers. Working together, they can create technology solutions that exceed expectations and delight users, from researchers through healthcare workers and ultimately patients. The new Studio is part of the Quintiles campus, located in the technology hub of Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. The Solution Design Studio team has an award-winning portfolio of digital innovations including the Quintiles Infosario One mobile app, the next-generation clinical development platform, Infosario Design, and Quintiles’ contribution to the Apple ResearchKit framework. Press release.

ICON Acquires Clinical Research Management

ICON has agreed, subject to certain customary closing conditions (including applicable regulatory approvals), to acquire Clinical Research Management Inc. (ClinicalRM). The acquisition will enhance ICON’s ability to access the market for government sponsored research and further enhances ICON’s capabilities in the areas of Vaccines and Infectious Disease. ClinicalRM provide full service and functional research solutions to broad range of US government agencies. Their extensive expertise extends across basic and applied research, infectious diseases, vaccines development and testing and the response to bio-threats. They have worked in collaboration with government and commercial customers to respond to the threat of global viral epidemics. Press release.

Liquid Biopsy Differentiating Cancer

Epic Sciences has unveiled a liquid biopsy test that more sensitively detects cancers susceptible to PARP inhibitors by targeting homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in individual circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The new test has already been incorporated into numerous clinical studies of HRD-targeted therapeutics in multiple cancer types. Epic Sciences and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center presented data at the annual ASCO meeting that suggests that Epic Sciences’ new test can detect a tumor cell’s HRD status based solely on analysis of protein expression and cellular morphology, independent of genomic sequencing. The Epic Sciences HRD liquid biopsy test is being offered as part of its expanded menu of Biopharma Solutions. Press release.