Phase Forward announced the availability of WebVDME 6.0, the latest release of the company’s pharmacovigilance and signal management product. The new release includes more tools and features for discovering and investigating signals in greater depth, exploring varied combinations of factors that trigger adverse events and simplifying analysis of safety data. WebVDME is used by pharmaceutical and biotech companies as well as several regulatory agencies, many of which participated in the project as development or testing partners. Read the press release.

Medidata Solutions announced that Orion Corp. has chosen to standardize on Medidata Rave as its global electronic data capture (EDC) management and reporting solution. This year, Orion plans to use Rave for most of the clinical studies throughout Europe. With an ultimate goal of eliminating paper-based clinical processes, Orion expects all of the company’s trials will be managed by Medidata Rave within the next few years. Read the press release.

Genizon BioSciences announced the first closing of its Series D equity financing, in the amount of CDN$10 million. Investors include Pfizer Inc. and existing investor BTF B.V. of Haarlem, The Netherlands, a venture capital fund focused on late stage biotechnology companies. Pfizer's investment in Genizon is related to a license and collaboration agreement announced January 16, 2007. Genizon will use the funds to conduct genome-wide association studies in the Quebec Founder Population and to enhance and commercialize discoveries already generated from previous studies.  Read the press release.

elbion NV, a European specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on neurology and immunology, today announced it has entered a research and license agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, around elbion's phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) program for CNS disorders with an initial focus on schizophrenia. The agreement includes an upfront payment, milestones and research funding potentially totalling up to $110 million over the life of the agreement. Wyeth will also pay elbion royalties on worldwide annual net sales of products developed under the agreement. Read the press release.

Stratagene Corp. has obtained the last of the four co-exclusive licenses to more than 150 microRNA sequences available from Max Planck Innovation, the technology transfer agency of the Max Planck Society. Under the terms of the agreement, Stratagene will have the right to use the microRNA sequences for the development, manufacture and sale of molecular diagnostic kits. Read the press release.