MedQuist to file proxy with SEC

MedQuist (Mt. Laurel, New Jersey) reported plans to file a preliminary proxy statement with the SEC regarding an upcoming annual meeting of its shareholders and to apply for listing on NASDAQ.

The company became current in its periodic reporting obligations with the SEC on Oct. 4, 2007 with the filing of its Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2007. The company now meets the applicable securities law requirements for soliciting proxies in connection with an annual meeting of shareholders for the first time since 2003, the year in which the company last held an annual meeting. The company said it anticipates filing a preliminary proxy statement on or about Nov. 9, the date on which it anticipates filing its Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2007 with the SEC. The company plans on holding the annual meeting within thirty days of the date on which a definitive proxy statement is mailed to its shareholders.

MedQuist makes clinical documentation workflow solutions in support of the electronic health record.

FDLI panel to discuss FDA safety

Is the FDA effectively communicating risk/safety information on drugs and devices to physicians and the public? That's a key question a panel of experts will discuss and debate at a landmark Colloquium, “Communicating Risk/Safety Information: How FDA Is Meeting the Challenge,” sponsored by the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), Dec. 6, 2007, in Washington, D.C. This meeting is the third in a series of colloquia sponsored by FDLI.

As the public becomes more concerned about whether it's safe to take — or stop — their medications, FDA is making risk communication a top priority. The agency is forming an advisory committee on communication and implementing new Congressional requirements on risk evaluation.