US-based eClinical specialist Nextrials boosted its revenues by 80% in 2007, driven by continued growth in multi-study contracts and increased traction within the medical device community for the company’s flagship Prism clinical trial management software.

During the year, biopharmaceutical and medical device companies initiated more than two dozen trials using Prism as their data collection management platform, Nextrials reported, without giving any further financial details.

Prism’s selection for medical device studies by companies such as Gynesonics, Z-Tech Medical, EKOS Corporation and CardioMEMS helped Nextrials to maintain the business momentum it has seen since 2005 with the widening adoption of its internet-based electronic data capture (EDC) technology, the company noted.

“Medical device researchers often have unique study requirements for clinical trials,”
pointed out Robin Carlson, director of clinical affairs at EKOS. “We found we were able to quickly use Prism in trials validating our ultrasound-accelerated infusion catheters and, as a result, were able to review patient data in real-time. This helped our product
development team to better understand clinical parameters and ensured the safety of
patients enrolled in our studies.”

James Rogers, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nextrials, said the company continued to develop, particularly through selection of Prism for large, global clinical trials and multi-study contracts. It was also mirroring trends observed in the life sciences investment community.

“Recent research conducted by Thomson Financial noted a 40% growth in investments in medical device companies, so we’re not surprised to see a corresponding increase in the number of device development sponsors utilising Prism in 2007,” he commented.

According to Rogers, the first quarter of 2008 “indicates we are on track for another year of aggressive growth”.