Persistent Systems and TGen Collaborate on Biospecimens Management Bio4D Software

New Biospecimens Management System in Development

Persistent Systems and TGen collaborate on Bio4D software program; System will provide timely information for oncologists about patient care 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and PHOENIX, Ariz. — May 14, 2012 — Persistent Systems (BSE & NSE: PERSISTENT), the leader in outsourced software product development (OPD) services, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) today announced that they are developing a high-quality biospecimen management system called Bio4D.

Initial versions of the Bio4D software, created to manage biological repositories for genetic and genomic research, have been used at TGen in the investigation of the underlying causes of disease.
Now, Persistent Systems and TGen are developing a robust commercial version of Bio4D to manage the collection, processing, storage, distribution and analysis of biospecimens, which includes blood, DNA, and tissue samples, including samples from cancer biopsies.

Systems such as Bio4D are critical to the advancement of personalized medicine, in which physicians guide care based on the genetic profile of each patient.

“Ultimately, tools like Bio4D have the potential to transform the management of biospecimens and supporting research data in a way that speeds information between researchers and oncologists,” said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen’s President and Research Director. “Accelerating this process is one more way we can benefit patients.”

A key component of Bio4D will be its ease of use. Unlike generic LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems), Bio4D will be equipped with features and functionality specifically designed for the needs of biobank scientists and biospecimen managers.

“Bio4D’s design tool greatly simplifies the study and data collection process, enforces good biospecimen management practices and compliance with global regulatory requirements,” said Peter Boler, Senior Vice President, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Persistent Systems. “The solution’s web-based technology means oncologists will be able to access data and system analysis results in real time from any industry standard Web browsers including IE, Firefox, Safari, etc. and operating systems such as MS Windows, MAC, Linux and Unix, making it easier than ever before to mine information and develop correlative analyses.”

Bio4D’s search abilities will include clinical and molecular profile parameters, using a set of filters that could help lead to the discovery or validation of biomarkers, diagnostics and therapeutics. Bio4D has the potential to accelerate discovery in the laboratory, and help translate that information to oncologists working with clinical patients.

Bio4D is also being designed to help address high levels of regulatory, ethical and legal scrutiny that surrounds the biomedical management of biospecimens in association with clinical and non-clinical trials.
Today’s announcement about Bio4D is being made in conjunction with the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) 2012 Annual Meeting, May 15-18, 2012, at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, B.C.

About Persistent Systems:
Established in 1990, Persistent Systems (BSE & NSE: PERSISTENT) is a global company specializing in software product development services. For more than two decades, Persistent has been an innovation partner for the world’s largest technology brands, leading enterprises and pioneering start-ups. With a global team of 6,600+ employees, Persistent has 350+ customers spread across North America, Europe, and Asia. Today, Persistent focuses on developing best-in-class solutions in four key next-generation technology areas: Cloud Computing, Mobility, BI& Analytics, Collaboration across technology, telecommunications, life sciences, consumer packaged goods, banking & financial services and healthcare verticals. For more information, please visit: www.persistentsys.com


About TGen:
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

Remedy Informatics to Debut SpecimenTrack at ISBER 2012 Annual Meeting

SpecimenTrack enables biobanks, clinicians, and labs engaged in multicenter collaboration to break down data silos and unlock the value of biorepository data for translational research

SALT LAKE CITY – May 11, 2012 – Remedy Informatics, Inc. further strengthened its position as the leader in life science and translational research informatics today with its announcement of revolutionary new biorepository informatics software, SpecimenTrack™.  Remedy will offer demonstrations of SpecimenTrack at the upcoming International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) 2012 Annual Meeting & Exhibit May 15-17, in Vancouver, BC, Canada (Booth #15).

At the core of SpecimenTrack is intuitive management of biorepository workflows in sample collection, inventory, processing, and distribution with particular emphasis on saving time through reduced complexity and ease of use with a modern, web-based application that facilitates collaboration.  To keep pace with changing biorepository informatics needs, SpecimenTrack has configurable sample types, storage containers, and workflow automation templates that can be easily modified by researchers without software coding. Further, SpecimenTrack plugs into Investigate™, Remedy’s translational informatics system that breaks down traditional barriers between sample management, study management, lab information management systems, electronic lab notebooks, and clinical registries.

“We built SpecimenTrack with the recognition that biorepositories cannot stand alone in translational research; they have a central role in enabling connectivity between lab and clinic far beyond a logistical collection of freezers and samples. There is vast potential in both high quality biospecimens and metadata currently locked up in biorepositories around the world that, if properly integrated, can drive benchside research, drug discovery, and clinical outcomes,” said Hank Wu, Director of Translational Informatics for Remedy Informatics. “The dual informatics challenges of Translational Research 2.0 are to connect and harmonize traditionally separate data sets and disciplines from the lab, clinic, and biobank, and to enable researchers to conduct deep interpretation of the data with powerful pattern recognition tools. SpecimenTrack coupled with Investigate represents a significant leap forward for biobanks and translational research institutions by giving them powerful tools to maximize the research potential of biospecimens.”

Built on the powerful Mosaic™ Platform, SpecimenTrack and Investigate are highly configurable research management software that enable researchers to customize data capture forms, workflows, visual queries, dashboards, and data models to their specific needs. Core to the platform is the Mosaic™ Ontology, which enables researchers to harmonize and map data from disparate data sources, and to adapt the data model to changing research needs over time by adding new terms and concepts. Together, SpecimenTrack and Investigate enable translational researchers to natively connect biospecimen data into benchside and bedside research.

“As we work to improve researchers’ ability to discern and discover patterns in their research it is essential that we provide the tools for them to access all available data so they can gain a true 360-degree view of the biological systems that impact disease,” said Gary Kennedy, Founder & CEO of Remedy Informatics. “SpecimenTrack focuses on biobanking but it is also an integral part of the 360-degree whole to help researchers discover the patterns hidden in their data, and ultimately to take giant leaps forward in medical innovation.”

SpecimenTrack and Investigate are both currently being implemented by two leading translational research institutions: (1) The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, a flagship set of ten laboratories of the National Cancer Institute with particular focus on next-generation sequencing and ‘omics technologies; and (2) the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), where integrated lab, biospecimen, and study management will play a key role in research on auto-immune disorders, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and many other disorders.

Remedy will demonstrate SpecimenTrack with Investigate at BOOTH #15 at the ISBER 2012 Annual Meeting and Exhibit in Vancouver, BC, Canada May 15 – 17.

About Remedy Informatics, Inc.
Remedy Informatics, Inc. is the leading provider of clinical registries, disease registries, medical research software, and research informatics products that accelerate translational medicine discoveries from bench to bedside. Remedy offers a wide range of configurable “off the shelf” biomedical informatics products that are built on the powerful Mosaic™ Platform. Remedy’s mission is to tangibly, measurably and permanently improve the effectiveness of Life Science Research in the United States and across the globe. For more information visit: www.remedyinformatics.com.