SAS and Phase Forward Announce Strategic Joint Offering for Transforming Clinical Trial Processes

Market Leaders in Business Intelligence and Clinical and Safety Data Management Join Forces to Deliver Enterprise Level Technology Solution

CARY, N.C.  (July 11, 2005)  –  SAS, the leader in business intelligence, and Phase Forward (NASDAQ: PFWD), a leading provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, today announced the planned integration of Phase Forward's solution suite for clinical and safety data management with SAS® Drug Development, a powerful clinical trials data integration and analysis solution. Initially planned for customers in the U.S., the joint offering is designed to streamline work processes for an enterprise level implementation across the breadth of the drug development continuum - from study design through analysis and submission - ultimately reducing study lifecycle costs and speeding time to market. Phase Forward's integrated solution suite includes its award-winning InForm™ electronic data capture (EDC) system, the Clintrial™ clinical data management system (CDMS), and the Clintrace™ drug safety system, each of which may be deployed on a stand-alone basis.

Aimed at transforming clinical research processes through repeatable, sustainable improvements, the joint offering from SAS and Phase Forward will provide data flow from Phase Forward's suite of products into SAS Drug Development. Intended to support Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) standards, the joint solution will be designed to supply an open architecture with outstanding flexibility around workflow, document management, and analysis to support the current needs and future business growth of life sciences organizations. The two companies have also agreed to explore additional joint opportunities around data flow and study execution.

In addition to the combined software solution, SAS and Phase Forward will develop a joint implementation methodology to support the adoption of the joint offering, for which Phase Forward will be the provider of both implementation and business process optimization consulting services. Phase Forward will also serve as an integration provider for SAS Drug Development implementations not involving the joint offering. The parties plan to develop collaborative sales and marketing activities for the joint offering.

SAS Drug Development provides a centralized repository that allows life sciences firms to analyze their clinical research for regulatory submission and explore new market opportunities, product line extensions, and safety issues - all within a controlled and secure collaborative framework designed for life sciences research industries. SAS software is used by every FORTUNE Global 500® life sciences company and nearly 600 pharmaceutical companies and divisions worldwide.

Phase Forward is a market leader in clinical trial data management and safety solutions whose award-winning products and services have been utilized in over 10,000 clinical trials involving more than 1,000,000 clinical trial study participants at over 220 organizations worldwide. Both parties' solutions have been designed for use in accordance with federal regulations such as 21 CFR Part 11 and good industry practices.

"SAS is committed to new and innovative ways for advancing the efficiency of clinical trials and delivering more value to our customers," said Kecia Serwin, general manager of SAS Health & Life Sciences. "Phase Forward is a leading player in the market, delivering a robust suite of products and solutions addressing the EDC, CDMS, and safety elements of our joint customers' clinical trial and safety processes. By leveraging the existing processes, technologies, and experience of our two companies, SAS and Phase Forward can deliver a competitive advantage for our customers through streamlined data flow and meaningful data retrieval and analysis."

"Partnering with a clear market leader such as SAS will not only add significant value to our existing clinical data management and safety solutions, but will also extend the breadth and depth of our presence in the life sciences market," said Bob Weiler, president and CEO of Phase Forward. "Our enterprise customers have told us that they are looking for integrated alliances between industry leaders versus best-of-breed point approaches. This joint offering is positioned to provide these life sciences organizations with the analytic capabilities necessary for delivering the real time and cost benefits they are looking for."

About Phase Forward

Phase Forward is a leading provider of integrated data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety. The company helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies bring needed drugs and therapies to market faster and more safely. Phase Forward offers proven solutions in electronic data capture (EDC), clinical data management (CDM), and adverse event reporting (AER). Phase Forward products and services have been utilized in over 10,000 clinical trials involving more than 1,000,000 clinical trial study participants at over 220 organizations worldwide including: AstraZeneca, Biogen Idec, Boston Scientific, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Guidant, Procter & Gamble, Quintiles, Sanofi-Aventis, Schering-Plough Research Institute, and Serono.

^{Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, Phase Forward's expectations concerning the integration of its technologies with those of another company, the performance and acceptance of the combined offering, and the benefits to customers from such combined offering. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Phase Forward's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among other things, Phase Forward's inability to convince current and potential customers to order its products and services and customers' failure to realize benefits from the use of these products and services, including without limitation those specifically referenced in this press release. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Phase Forward undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by Phase Forward, see the disclosure contained in Phase Forward's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.}

About SAS

Back to Recent SAS Press Releases

Copyright © SAS Institute Inc. All Rights Reserved.