Radiant Research Leads Global Change in Site Management Market

Radiant Research has claimed profitability nearly every year since it was founded in 1998. The company has grown not only through a series of acquisitions, but also by expanding existing facilities and opening new centers. Radiant is embarking on a new global growth period with the backing of a private equity group, which took ownership in June. Radiant, which has trimmed itself down to 26 owned sites, plans to take its SMO model worldwide. Other SMOs, of varying models, continue to be successful, following the niche's slide when many SMOs exited the market.

Positive Volunteer Experience Holds Steady in New CenterWatch Study

More than 90% of study volunteers say their experiences were good enough in a clinical trial that they would participate again. Despite all of the bad press about the pharmaceutical industry, study volunteers remain steadfast in their support of trial participation. CenterWatch surveyed 620 study volunteers across the United States in April and May 2007 on issues such as how they learned about the study, which factors influenced their decision to participate, and how well they understood study expectations. More than half of respondents had participated in a study this year or in 2006.

German Research Down But Far From Out

Germany has been struggling in the increasingly global clinical trials industry. A report last year by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft research institute showed that while the significance of Germany as a venue for R&D has diminished since the early 1970s, major competitors, such as the U.S., Japan, France and the UK, have taken a larger slice of the global pie.

Eye On: Respiratory Diseases

Respiratory diseases encompass a broad spectrum of pathology including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and other conditions characterized by airway blockage or narrowing; restrictive lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; and a host of infections acquired both in the community and in the hospital. CenterWatch has identified a pipeline of 21 drugs in different phases of development for respiratory diseases. Several target airway inflammation via immune system cells; others act as novel bronchodilators; and various antibiotics address the problems of microbial resistance and opportunistic infections.

To read the full articles for this issue or for more information on these and other breaking stories, please click here for subscription information.