Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, Massachusetts) and Quintiles Transnational (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) have created a joint venture, called Cenduit (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina), intended to provide what they term "seamless, integrated Interactive Response Technology (IRT) services during the clinical trial phase of drug development." IRT is a technology platform that integrates patient interaction systems through a combination of telephone response, web interface and handheld electronic patient diaries.

The use of IRT is expected to grow as pharmaceutical companies look to streamline and better control increasingly complex drug development processes, according to the new venture.

Dick Jones, a spokesperson for Quintiles, told Medical Device Daily that the technology helps automate certain aspects of clinical trials, such as patient randomization.

Jones said the IRT platform could be used for clinical trials in the device industry as well as the pharmaceutical industry.

"The technology can be used in a variety of ways — over the phone, the web, and with handheld electronic patient diaries — and that's the sort of thing that this new venture will be doing," Jones said. "We believe uses of this type of electronic is going to grow."

"Our companies have been looking for an opportunity to leverage the particular service strengths we bring to the drug development process," said Marijn Dekkers, president/CEO of Thermo Fisher. "With Cenduit, we have combined two leaders — the clinical supply chain expertise of our Fisher Clinical Services business with the clinical development expertise of Quintiles — to offer a scalable, seamless technology platform."

The name Cenduit signifies the channel through which information can move directly and freely, the companies said.

"This joint venture brings together best-in-class technology, exceptional customer service and global clinical trial expertise to give biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies a seamless, integrated 'one-stop' service for support of their clinical development programs. Our efficiency and experience in IRT services and clinical project management offers the drug development industry a conduit to the broadest, most accurate, real-time view of every detail in the process — and a very competitive solution," said Jogin Desai, CEO of Cenduit.

Desai previously served as executive director of Quintiles Cardiac Safety Services.

In other new venture news: Milestone Scientific (Livingston, New Jersey) reported the formation of a new medical division, Milestone Medical, which will focus on leveraging Milestone's CompuFlo technology to pursue the development of technological solutions for the medical industry.

Joe Martin, a former senior executive from Bayer, will serve as the CEO of the business unit.

Milestone is engaged in developing technological solutions for the medical and dental markets.