MERGE HEALTHCARE AND CATO RESEARCH LTD. ESTABLISH NEW FIVE-YEAR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AGREEMENT
CATO to license the etrials EDCTM solution from Merge
Investor Contact:
Julie Pekarek
Vice President, Marketing
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Milwaukee, WI, May 20, 2010 - Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE), a leading Health IT solutions provider, announced today that it was selected by Cato Research Ltd. to provide the proprietary etrials EDC solution through Merge's technology transfer program. This new agreement expands Merge's partnership with CATO to provide additional technology for clinical trials management, as well as extending the relationship for an additional five years.
"We have enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Merge Healthcare for their clinical trial solutions," noted Allen Cato, M.D., Ph.D., and CEO of Cato Research Ltd. "The etrials® technology has been consistent and intuitive, and the Merge team has been quick to help us use it successfully. Adding the etrials EDC platform in a technology transfer model will enable our company to efficiently build and deliver solutions to help our customers run cost-effective clinical studies."
The technology transfer program allows CATO to use the etrials EDC system to build and deploy custom clinical trial studies that leverage the powerful reporting capabilities of Merge's technology. Because the etrials EDC solution is built on a SaaS platform, it can be licensed on a subscription or study basis. In addition, Merge's etrials IVRTM and ePROTM solutions can be integrated with the EDC system to provide comprehensive eClinical solutions. Merge's team of clinical trial experts will also provide training and support to CATO.
"We are thrilled to partner with CATO to bring etrials EDC into their portfolio of clinical trial solutions," said Justin Dearborn, Merge's Chief Executive Officer. "With our robust EDC offering, CATO will be able to deliver an easy-to-use solution to their clients. It is our goal to understand how our customers' conduct business in order to deliver robust solutions that meet their long-term needs and allow for mutually beneficial partnerships like this one."
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Merge Healthcare Incorporated develops and integrates information technology to create a better electronic healthcare experience. Merge products, ranging from standards-based development toolkits to sophisticated clinical applications, have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide for over 20 years. Additional information can be found at www.merge.com.
About Cato Research Ltd.
Founded in 1988 by Allen Cato, M.D., Ph.D., and Lynda Sutton and headquartered near Research Triangle Park, CATO is a global, full-service contract research and development organization providing strategic and tactical support for clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and medical diagnostic industries. With a staff of more than 300 employees located in the United States, Europe, Canada, Israel, India and South Africa, CATO'S services range from design and management of preclinical and clinical studies to submission of regulatory documents required for marketing approval. For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.cato.com.
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