Synteract joins Medidata's ASPire to Win channel partner program

Medidata Solutions (NASDAQ: MDSO), a leading global provider of SaaS-based clinical development solutions, today announced that Synteract has joined Medidata's ASPire to Win^® channel partner program. A full-service contract research organization (CRO) with an increasing global presence and extensive experience working with emerging biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device sponsors, Synteract will offer services around Medidata Rave^®, the market-leading electronic data capture (EDC) and clinical data management (CDM) solution.

“Becoming a Medidata channel partner and bringing Medidata Rave study build capabilities in house will support Synteract's mission to expand its services globally and further increase its footprint in the mid-market.”

Synteract works with drug and medical device sponsors across a wide range of therapeutic areas, with a particularly strong expertise in oncology, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular, respiratory and ophthalmology studies. Managing both drug and device trials in Phases I-IV, Synteract also has deep history in rescue studies, helping sponsors that have floundered under other services providers to switch to Synteract mid-study for project completion. With its recent addition of an office in the Czech Republic and several key international partnerships, Synteract viewed Medidata Rave's broad market acceptance, as evidenced by its usage at investigator sites in over 100 countries, and its extensive multi-lingual support as important criteria in selecting Rave as the system to support its continued global growth. Synteract was also impressed with Medidata's experience working with sponsors of all sizes and trials in all phases.

"Partnering with Medidata was a natural choice for us. Like Synteract, Medidata takes pride in its commitment to customer service, through a combination of responsiveness and industry-leading innovation to bring value to customers' global trials," said Ellen Morgan, Synteract president and CEO. "Rave's flexibility, scalable performance and broad EDC and CDM capabilities, including enhanced support for site monitoring and safety reporting, will enable us to help our customers further streamline their clinical research operations both internationally and domestically."

Synteract has chosen to provide full study build services around Medidata Rave - as well as data management and technical staff training, administration and reporting services - to provide sponsors with comprehensive Rave study support. Synteract's first study using Rave is a pivotal Phase III, 300-subject, 85-site global trial that will also leverage Medidata's Rave Monitor site visit reporting tool and the Rave Safety Gateway EDC-to-safety-system interface.

"Synteract has established an impressive track record and solid reputation for understanding the needs and delivering the services specifically tailored for emerging sponsors - including providing high-quality, low-cost and local outsourcing solutions," said Graham Bunn, vice president for Global CRO Partnerships, Medidata Solutions. "Becoming a Medidata channel partner and bringing Medidata Rave study build capabilities in house will support Synteract's mission to expand its services globally and further increase its footprint in the mid-market."

Medidata first announced the ASPire to Win channel partner program in April 2005 to enable select CROs and other service providers to offer Medidata Rave implementation services. Since then, ASPire to Win has grown to include more than 25 partners, ranging from smaller clinical consultancies to large, global CROs.