Monday, May 29, 2006
Free Early Case Assessment of Electronic Information
MetaLINCS Offers Corporate Legal Teams and Law Firms Free Early Case Assessment of Electronic InformationEarly Knowledge from E-Discovery Analysis Software Drives Early Action and More Favorable Case Outcomes
San Jose, CA (PRWEB) May 29, 2006 -- MetaLINCS, a leading provider of E-Discovery software, today announced the availability of a trial offer that provides corporate legal teams, law firms and government agencies a free early assessment analysis of their electronic data pertaining to any legal matter. Qualified organizations can submit up to 10GB of electronic data for automated review and receive a customized Early Case Assessment Report of key results within 5 days. A sample report based on analysis of the Enron email database can be found at www.metalincs.com/promos/freeAssessment.html.
The free service specifically targets attorneys, investigators and litigation support professionals who desire a way to find key evidence in electronic information that is dramatically more reliable, timely and cost-effective than the current approaches to E-Discovery, which are almost entirely manual. Today's predominant best-practice methods for E-Discovery are dominated by service providers that employ a small army of people to collect, process and comb through electronic information. Not merely expensive, the service provider approach to E-Discovery is error-prone, time-consuming, and provides very limited visibility into the significance of the information discovered.
"The E-Discovery component of most legal matters and investigations come with short deadlines, which puts companies and law firms under tremendous pressure to produce information that can help them quickly assess their exposure and begin to build a case strategy," said Ramon Nunez, CEO of MetaLINCS. "Today's manual E-Discovery processes are too slow and tedious to allow for a fast, comprehensive understanding of the information at hand. Early case assessment enables legal teams to find and drill down on the most relevant case material during the earliest stages of a case and demonstrates the power of early knowledge."
E-Discovery is now the most costly component of the legal and investigatory process, and as it grows in complexity, the associated costs and risks continue to soar. The ability to assess cases at their earliest stages can reduce overall e-discovery costs by as much as 75%. Early assessment can also lead counsel to conclude that 80% of the data they processed is irrelevant, not requiring further examination. Such early insight can inform initial strategic decision-making and drive more favorable case outcomes.
Organizations that take advantage of the MetaLINCS' offer will receive a customized Early Case Assessment Report, featuring in-depth analysis results in the following areas:
Related Concepts MetaLINCS provides a related concept analysis based on the keyword list you provide. This helps identify additional words and phrases that are relevant to the case.
Thread Analysis For each of your keywords you can also see a list of the top email conversations involving that keyword. This analysis can help create a context for understanding each keyword and the people involved.
Social Network Analysis Social Network Analysis shows the communication patterns of key individuals during critical time periods. These analyses reveal individuals you may not have known about or initially considered important to the case.
More information about this MetaLINCS free offer can be found at www.metalincs.com. Users can also register for the free Early Case Assessment by calling 1-800-221-6382.
About MetaLINCS eDiscovery Application
The MetaLINCS E-Discovery application offers corporate attorneys, investigators and litigators the most comprehensive E-Discovery review and analysis software available. The platform combines a patent-pending guided discovery process with a unique visual representation of the relationships between people, events, time, documents and communication patterns. This approach allows users to quickly gain an understanding of electronic information in context, which leads to more successful investigations, mitigates compliance risks, and reduces discovery and litigation costs.
About MetaLINCS
MetaLINCS is a leading provider of Electronic Discovery software. The company's flagship product, the MetaLINCS E-Discovery application, drives early and accurate case assessments by guiding users through the discovery process and suggesting new areas for analysis. Corporate attorneys, investigators and litigators are able to make better decisions earlier, boost discovery productivity, and ensure discovery consistency across cases. The MetaLINCS eDiscovery application is the first commercial software to visualize relationships between people, events, time, documents and communication patterns. Founded in 2003, MetaLINCS is a privately held company located in Mountain View, California and has received venture financing from ArrowPath Venture Capital, Newbury Ventures and Rembrandt Venture Partners. For more information about the company, visit www.metalincs.com.
MetaLINCS is a registered trademark of MetaLINCS. Any other marks used in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of the manufacturers or marketers of the products with which the marks are associated.
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Press Contact: Holly Berkley
Company Name: BERKLEY WEB STRATEGIES, LLC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 800 921 0687
Website: http://www.metalincs.com
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Yet Another Health Care Web Site Makes Searching For Info Faster And Easier
A New Health Care Web Site Makes Searching For Info Faster And EasierHealth Site Guide (www.healthsiteguide.com) is a user-friendly portal that features pre-searched links to a wide range of health care topics and concerns.
Great Neck, NY (PRWEB) May 24, 2006 -- Want to find a video that explains a medical procedure? Need to know more information about a drug youre taking? Is that dry spot on your arm chapped skin or a skin condition? Now theres a Web site with all the resources and features of the leading health care Web sites, and its all at one address www.healthsiteguide.com.
Started by a marketing executive who, like so many others, searched the Web to learn about a medical condition, then scrolled aimlessly down the results page, www.healthsiteguide.com is a free portal to pre-searched information contained on a wide range of health care sites. The site provides visitors with direct links to special features like videos, drug interaction information, medical encyclopedias, eldercare and much more, which can be accessed from a drop down menu or by clicking graphics on the home page.
Other drop down menus feature overviews on more than two dozen health care Web sites, written by professional science writers in an unbiased manner that doesnt review the site, but simply presents the benefits to a prospective visitor. A third menu lists hundreds of health concerns with links to sites that contain information on the subject.
One of the most popular reasons that people use the Internet is to research their health or the health of a loved one, said Bob Lipp, president of Health Site Guide, Inc. However, unlike other categories of Web sites like e-commerce sites, we werent able to find one site that would be a portal into many health care sites, with pre-searched links for fast and easy information access. So we created one.
The site is also fully interactive, allowing visitors to communicate with one another through free member pages. All you have to do is enter a username and password to get started.
Want to participate in a group forum on a subject of interest, create your own personal page or blog? asks Bill Blaney, executive vice president of Health Site Guide. Its easy. Become a member, at no cost, and discover the many ways to enhance your health care learning and sharing experience. The site even features pages and pages of the latest health care news from leading news organizations.
www.healthsiteguide.com is owned by Health Site Guide Inc. The site is a portal that makes it fast and easy to access a broad range of health care information and special features, which are available on todays health care Web sites.
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Press Contact: Alan Lewis
Company Name: MARCOMM GROUP
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 516-829-0404
Website: www.healthsiteguide.com
Monday, May 15, 2006
Pharmaceutical Insider Film Has Side Effects
Medical and Holistic Communities Applaud Pharmaceutical Insider Film Side EffectsBased on filmmaker Kathleen Slattery-Moschkaus decade of experience working as a drug sales rep, Side Effects examines the pill-pushing tactics of the pharmaceutical industrys leading companies. Side Effects has conscientious consumers around the world thinking twice about popping their next pill.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 15, 2006 -- Based on filmmaker Kathleen Slattery-Moschkaus decade of experience working as a drug sales rep, Side Effects examines the pill-pushing tactics of the pharmaceutical industrys leading companies. Side Effects has conscientious consumers around the world thinking twice about popping their next pill.
For those who missed the storm of buzz during its rolling theatrical release, Side Effects is available online at www.sideeffectsthemovie.com and Amazon.com, and will be sold at major retail outlets across the United States beginning May 16.
Side Effects is an insiders glimpse at the shocking, and sometimes laughable realities of the drug industry. The film is fictional and meant to appeal to a large audience in a light and entertaining way, but with a message that packs a punch.
Side Effects tackles these issues head-on and does it with remarkable candor, humor, and balance. Tony Cecala, The Holistic Networker
The film will serve as an eye opener for doctors and patients alike. Stephanie Lysaught, The Yogi Times
The action goes from amusing to savagely funny. Jeanne Lenzer, British Medical Journal
Drop dead fascinating. Deborah Ray, Healthy Talk Radio
After being moved by the attention her first film was receiving for raising awareness about the pharmaceutical industry, Slattery-Moschkau went on to make Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety, a hard-hitting documentary that leaves Hollywood behind and explores the issues through interviews with key opinion leaders. The documentary is available online at the films Website.
True to her position since the beginning, Slattery-Mosckau continues to take a reasoned approach to the issues surrounding the drug industry. We need to acknowledge that we need prescription medications, but understand that the current system is brokenthese are the first steps toward progress, says Slattery-Moschkau.
To arrange an interview with Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau, contact Cari Reisinger of Hummingbird Pictures at (414) 264-1065.
Press Contact: Cari Reisinger
Company Name: HUMMINGBIRD PICTURES
Phone: 414-264-1065
Website: www.sideeffectsthemovie.com
Monday, May 08, 2006
Drug Safety Newsletter Offered By ePharmaceuticals
ePharmaceuticals Launches Drug Safety NewsletterePharmaceuticals, a division of healthcare regulatory publisher HCPro, has launched of Briefings on Drug Safety, a monthly electronic newsletter that will provide information and guidance to help pharmaceutical professionals make smart drug safety, risk management, and marketing decisions.
Marblehead, MA (PRWEB) May 8, 2006 -- ePharmaceuticals, a division of health care regulatory publisher HCPro, has launched of Briefings on Drug Safety, a monthly electronic newsletter that will provide information and guidance to help pharmaceutical professionals make smart drug safety, risk management, and marketing decisions.
With thousands of Vioxx-related product liability lawsuits, tighter oversight by the FDAs new Office of Drug Safety, FDA-mandated risk management plans and risk communication, and intense Congressional and media scrutiny, drug safety is in the spotlight more than ever before. These factors have created an environment in which pre- and post-approval drug safety, risk management, and risk communications can make or break a drug.
The drug safety stakes have never been higher, and thats why drug safety, regulatory, legal, and marketing professionals in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries need this newsletter, said David Beardsley, publisher of Briefings on Drug Safety.
Briefings on Drug Safety is designed to help readers effectively initiate post-approval safety studies, prepare for rigorous FDA oversight of drug safety, comply with adverse event reporting requirements, and design risk management and risk communications plans.
This new launch further expands ePharmaceuticals line of informational and training products on regulatory compliance in the life sciences industries. These products and services take the form of newsletters, audio conferences, webcasts, training handbooks, e-learning, and on-site workshops. They cover such topics as drug safety/risk management, Part D compliance, formulary and reimbursement issues under Medicare Parts B & D, and marketing innovation.
For more information, including a complimentary copy of Briefings on Part D Compliance, please visit: http://www.hcmarketplace.com/prod-4032-EN44013A.html
About ePharmaceuticals
ePharmaceuticals, a division of health care regulatory publisher HCPro, Inc., provides business intelligence, compliance training, market research reports and custom publishing services to the pharmaceutical industry.
Publications include ePharm5, a daily business and marketing innovation newsletter, Medicare & Reimbursement Advisor Weekly, Briefings on Part D Compliance, Briefings on Drug Safety, and Pharmaceutical Compliance Alert.
Our compliance training resources include handbooks, audioconferences, live workshops, and online learning courses.
Contact: David Beardsley
Company Name: ePharmaceuticals
Phone: 8774374276
Website: http://www.hcmarketplace.com/prod-4032-EN44013A.html
Friday, May 05, 2006
Merck Finds "Happy Place"
| Merck Well-Positioned to Regain Industry-Leadership Position |
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4/25/2006 - Whitehouse Station, NJ - Merck & Co., Inc. can again be the company that patients and physicians look to first for unmatched excellence, that the medical and scientific communities look to first for inspiration and achievement, and that investors look to first for growth among pharmaceutical companies, said Richard T. Clark, Chief Executive Officer and President, at Merck's Annual Meeting of Stockholders recently. "We understand the environment in which we are working and the challenges that the environment poses. But we also see the enormous opportunities the environment offers - and we are fully prepared to take advantage of those opportunities. Merck's strategic plan, our 'Plan to Win,' which we announced in December, will enable Merck to regain the leadership position it long enjoyed, if we can execute it flawlessly, every step of the way. Fortunately, the people of Merck have the talent, the will, and the commitment to do exactly that," Mr. Clark told approximately 600 stockholders at the Company's annual meeting at Raritan Valley Community College in North Branch, N.J. Mr. Clark reviewed for stockholders the Company's current performance and promising drug candidates, and outlined key elements of the Plan to Win. As Merck strives to reclaim its leadership position, Mr. Clark noted that the Company has a solid financial platform on which to build. Earnings Affirm Financial Strength The first-quarter results were driven by the performance of ZOCOR and SINGULAIR in the United States and Merck's vaccines, plus the strong performance of the Company's partnerships and alliances. "These results demonstrate our solid momentum as we move forward in 2006. They also clearly indicate that we are making progress against the goals we outlined in December to return Merck to an industry-leading position," Mr. Clark said. Mr. Clark told shareholders that Merck remains confident that it can generate compound annualized adjusted revenue growth of between 4 to 6 percent over the next five years, including the Company's share of sales through its joint ventures and partnerships, and that Merck can deliver double-digit compound earnings growth over the next three to five years, excluding restructuring charges and one-time items. Merck expects to return to bottom-line earnings per share growth, on the same basis, next year. Changing Every Aspect of Merck's Business "We are already implementing the five strategic actions that make up the plan: focusing on nine priority disease areas, redefining our drug discovery and development model, working to achieve leadership in emerging pharmaceutical markets, building a new commercial model and creating a lean and flexible cost structure. I am confident in our ability to make this plan a reality," Mr. Clark said. Mr. Clark highlighted each of the five strategic actions during the meeting. The first strategic action is the decision to concentrate research and development efforts in nine therapeutic areas: Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, novel vaccines, obesity, cancer, pain, and sleep disorders. These areas were selected because of the opportunity Merck believes they provide, both due to the enormous unmet need that exists, and because of the likelihood that the Company can make a real difference in discovering and developing effective, safe and highly desired treatments. Next, Merck is redefining its discovery and development process to yield new, high-value products more efficiently. Merck needs to be able to move faster and smarter than ever before in keys areas, including responding to the needs of the marketplace, partnering with scientific leadership and key opinion leaders, increasing external sourcing capability, and differentiating medicines in the marketplace. The third action is creating a new commercial model - a model based on getting patients, physicians, and payers the right information, at the right time, in the right way. The Company is working to increase the productivity of the marketing and sales efforts to promote Merck's products while at the same time fully investing in new product launches. The Company must also continue to demonstrate the unique benefits of Merck's products - benefits that may not be able to be duplicated by competing products. The fourth component is building a long-term leadership position in emerging pharmaceutical markets around the world. Merck already has a presence in such key markets as China, India, and in parts of Eastern Europe and Russia. The Company is working to expand its presence in these and other key markets that hold the potential for real growth. The fifth component of the strategy is to create a lean and flexible cost structure. Last November, Merck announced some significant steps to reduce its cost base. This includes selling or closing five manufacturing facilities, two preclinical sites, and a basic research center over the next several years. Merck's total workforce will be reduced by 7,000 positions. To date, approximately 2,900 of those positions have already been eliminated. "We believe we have the plan needed to give our employees the direction and the ability to make Merck, once again, the most respected and most valued company in the industry. We look forward to the day when we can say - and you will agree - that Merck is back," Mr. Clark said. Growth and Progress in Merck's Pipeline "Merck's pipeline is the strongest it's been in years. And because of changes we began making last year to our research and development model, we are well-positioned to continue to meet our mission of discovering and developing novel medicines that meet unaddressed medical needs," said Dr. Kim. According to Dr. Kim, it was an outstanding year for research and development at Merck. During the past year:
The third application Merck expects to file in 2006 will be for MK-0517, which is an investigational intravenous medicine related to EMEND, Merck's medicine for the treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. MK-0517 is expected to provide a more convenient way to deliver this drug to patients undergoing chemotherapy. "Therapies in our pipeline have the potential to literally change the course of medical history. That opportunity is the reason the people of Merck take great pride in what we do. It's why we have great confidence in what we can accomplish in the future. And it's what has been driving our effort to redefine our product discovery and development process over the past several years," said Dr. Kim. In 2005, Merck took critical steps to strengthen its ability to discover and develop new medicines and vaccines-the decision to concentrate its research and development efforts in nine priority disease areas-while also redefining its discovery and development process. Dr. Kim reviewed in some detail the rationale behind the selection of the nine priority disease areas in which Merck will concentrate its research and resources. Over the past several years, external alliances, partnerships, and acquisitions have played an important role in increasing the strength of Merck's pipeline. Last year, Merck concluded 44 transactions across a broad range of therapeutic categories. "By concentrating our efforts, increasing our productivity, increasing our probability of success, increasing our collaborative efforts with the external world, and decreasing the time it takes to discover and develop new drugs, we have every confidence that Merck will regain its leadership position in the industry and in the world of medicine," Dr. Kim concluded. SOURCE: Merck & Co., Inc. |
