BioWisdom Inc. released version 5 of the OmniViz data visualization and mining software. OmniViz Version 5 can visualize and analyze millions of documents or billions of data points, as well as chemical structures and genome sequences – all in the same visual framework. Version 5 includes enhanced text analysis algorithms, and new natural language processing rules have been combined with patented statistical methods to provide additional power in analysis of text content. In related news, the company announced that the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) has signed an agreement for the use of SRS 8.2 data integration platform. Read the press releases.

Octagon Research Solutions released Data JumpStart, a new offering designed to assist companies in the efficient deployment of new industry data standards across their organization and outsourcing partners. Octagon’s CDISC SDTM-compatible Data JumpStart is a collection of documents, libraries and templates that facilitate institutionalization of data management standards and provides everything a company will need to deploy data standards across an organization and to outsourcing partners. Read the press release.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday outlined a course for achieving gene-based medical care combined with health information technology, which he called "Personalized Health Care." He said the initiative has the potential to transform the quality, safety and value of health care for patients in the future. In a speech before the annual meetings of the Personalized Medicine Coalition, at the National Press Club, the Secretary outlined steps already under way to develop the needed information, as well as new steps he is undertaking to build the foundation for personalized health care and ensure that gene-based medical data and health information technology are used appropriately. Read the press release.

GlaxoSmithKline opened its new Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory at its research and development facility in Singapore’s biomedical research hub, Biopolis. GSK has invested an additional S$20 million in their Centre for Research in Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders for the construction of a medicinal chemistry laboratory and a near doubling of the number of researchers. GSK aims to double the number of researchers hired to almost 60, with half of them locally sourced. Website: www.gsk.com.