Rho Joins Medidata Solutions CRO Partner Program
Full-Service CRO with both Commercial and Federal Research Expertise Leverages
Medidata Rave to Drive Clinical Trial Efficiencies for Sponsors
NEW YORK, N.Y. - November 30, 2010 - Medidata Solutions (NASDAQ: MDSO), a leading global provider of SaaS-based clinical development solutions, today announced that Rho has joined Medidata's ASPire to Win channel partner program for contract research organizations (CROs) and other service providers. A full-service CRO with more than 25 years experience in providing clinical services to some of the nation's leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies as well as a number of federal agencies, Rho plans to implement the Medidata Rave electronic data capture (EDC) and clinical data management system (CDM) solution in upcoming federally-funded studies as well as commercial studies across all phases.
Rho is a U.S.-based CRO with global capabilities actively conducting trials in more than 50 countries on six continents. A leader in federal research working as the data coordinating center for a wide variety of federal research programs, Rho offers expertise in a broad range of therapeutic areas, with particular strengths in oncology, CNS and immunology studies.
While Rho has extensive experience with clinical technologies and previously used an in-house, proprietary system as its primary EDC tool, the company recently made a strategic decision to move away from development of its in-house system to increase its focus on growth of its core business and client service. To find an EDC partner, Rho formed a cross-functional team to evaluate market-leading EDC providers and selected Medidata Rave for its high marks in ease of use and ability to improve efficiencies in clinical study processes.
"Our partnership with Medidata allows us to provide our customers with an EDC solution that matches the high standards we set for the services we provide," said Russ Helms, chief technology officer at Rho. "Medidata Rave is a brand our customers trust, and with our expertise in implementing clinical trial technologies we're confident our customers will benefit from the critical time and cost efficiencies the solution can deliver."
Rho plans to implement Medidata Rave in four studies within the next six months and continue to ramp up to approximately 20 trials over the course of the following year. Rho's initial set of studies include Phase I and II studies with U.S. sites, but, once fully implemented, Rho anticipates launching studies across all phases and global sites. Rho expects its first study to go live in January 2011.
"As a leading provider of data management and biostatistics services, Rho recognizes that EDC presents a clear advantage over paper studies," said Graham Bunn, vice president, partnerships at Medidata Solutions. "Its customers need technology solutions that provide flexibility, speed and quality, and partnering with Medidata enables Rho to continue to build on its experience providing critical research services to sponsors of trials of all sizes, categories and phases."
Medidata first announced its channel partner program in April 2005 to enable select CROs and other service providers to offer Medidata Rave implementation services. Since then, the program has grown to include more than 25 partners (including nine organizations headquartered in Asia), ranging from smaller clinical consultancies to large, global CROs. For more information, please visit: www.mdsol.com/partnerships/cros.htm.
About Rho
Rho (www.rhoworld.com), a privately-held, contract research organization (CRO) located in Chapel Hill, NC, provides a full range of services across the entire drug development process. For more than 25 years, Rho has been a trusted partner to some of the industry's leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies as well as academic and government organizations. Our commitment to excellence, our innovative technologies, and our therapeutic expertise accelerate time to market, maximize returns on investment, and lead to an exceptional customer experience.
About Medidata Solutions Worldwide
Medidata Solutions (www.mdsol.com) is a leading global provider of SaaS-based clinical development solutions that enhance the efficiency of customers' clinical trials. For over 10 years, Medidata has consistently brought next-generation innovation to the life science industry to lower the total cost of clinical development through informed trial planning and management, optimized clinical processes and platform interoperability. Medidata's advanced solutions address key functions throughout the clinical development process including protocol development (Medidata Designer®), trial planning and management (Medidata Grants Manager®, Medidata CRO Contractor®), user and learning management (iMedidataTM), randomization and trial supply management (Medidata BalanceTM), monitoring (Medidata Rave Monitor, Medidata Rave Targeted SDV), Serious Adverse Events capture (Medidata Rave Safety Gateway) and clinical data capture, management and reporting (Medidata Rave®). Our diverse customer base spans biopharmaceutical companies, medical device and diagnostic companies, academic and government institutions, CROs and other research organizations, and includes more than 20 of the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies as well as organizations of all sizes developing life-enhancing medical treatments and diagnostics.
Contact:
Susan McCarron
Lois Paul & Partners
781.782.5767
[email protected]