COVANCE ESTABLISHES CENTRALIZED IMAGING CENTER TO REDUCE CLINICAL TRIAL TIME AND COST
Imaging technology adds control and improves quality |
|
PRINCETON, N.J., 5 June 2000 — Covance Inc. (NYSE: CVD) announced the opening of a new centralized imaging service center as part of its growing clinical support services offerings. Part of Covance Central Diagnostics in Reno, Nevada, the Covance Imaging Center (CIC) meets a growing pharmaceutical industry need for imaging to document clinical efficacy and safety. Covance will be conducting a free e-conference on 8 June for those interested in learning more about the use of centralized imaging in clinical trials.
Centralized imaging is a series of processes and procedures used to collect, read, and analyze image-enabled data from clinical trials. "If people think about images as being a part of a clinical trial, they usually only consider radiology images," according to Michael J. Smith, executive director of the Covance Imaging Center. "In fact, imaging includes digital photography, film, and even movies. We can handle a broad range of images that are now becoming a growing part of clinical trials around the world. And we have the experience and capacity to handle large, global studies." CIC has already managed 38 protocols involving imaging at approximately 700 sites with more than 38,000 patients.
The demand for centralized imaging services is expected to increase significantly over the next few years. Many regulatory agencies are now requiring imaging data. "Clinical efficacy can be proven more readily by using images, and the Food and Drug Administration and European regulatory agencies are moving toward including imaging as part of New Drug Application submissions," according to Mr. Smith.
Covance is also piloting a reporting and tracking program with a major client using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology. By making one phone call and going through a series of prompts, the Covance Imaging Center and the client can track the status of an imaging sample. This process allows Covance to proactively manage the process. This technology can greatly reduce the time, cost, and complexity of gathering and analyzing imaging data, thereby improving the quality and reducing the overall cost of a clinical trial.
If you are interested in finding out more about how centralized imaging can be used to reduce the time and cost of clinical trials, please join Covance for an e-Conference scheduled for 8 June. This conference is the third in a series of live, educational e-Conferences touching on various areas of interest in Clinical Trials Management. To register for the free e-conference, contact Kimberly Paul-Gerweck at 609-419-2465.
Covance, with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive drug development services companies with 1999 revenues of $829 million, global operations, and approximately 7,500 employees worldwide. Information on Covance's products and services, recent press releases, and SEC filings can be obtained through our website at: www.covance.com.
Statements contained in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All such forward-looking statements including the statements contained herein regarding the demand for centralized imaging services are based largely on management's expectations and are subject to and qualified by risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, growth in demand for centralized imaging services and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
|
|
