A banner week for CHEN PR client Phase Forward

What a week last week was for CHEN PR client Phase Forward.

Phase Forward provides software solutions that help pharmaceutical, medical device and other companies automate the clinical trials at the heart of their new drug/therapy/device development processes. Many of these companies convened in Boston last week for Phase Forward’s 8^th annual user conference. The tone was set with a moving conference-opening keynote by John F. Crowley.

Mr. Crowley shared his intertwined personal and professional journey guided by his and his wife’s efforts to develop drug therapies for the Pompe disease with which both of his children, Megan and Patrick, were diagnosed in 1998. Mr. Crowley reminded his listeners of the toxicity of self pity even in the most challenging of circumstances, the importance of humility and the critical role of innovation in helping improve people’s lives. Mr. and Mrs. Crowley, Megan and Patrick are an inspiring family and are a reminder that outside of the biotechnology labs, real people’s lives are being positively impacted by the work of this industry. Harrison Ford is producing and starring in a film, called Extraordinary Measures, based on the Crowleys’ journey to be released in January of 2010 – sure to be riveting.

Two days of informative presentations followed, including a wide variety of Phase Forward customers sharing case studies with their peers about how they have implemented the company’s solutions to bring greater efficiencies to their clinical trials.

The week was capped by the news at a dinner event Thursday evening that Phase Forward had been named Private Sector Company of the Year by the Mass Technology Leadership Council. Accepting the award for the company was chairman and CEO Bob Weiler (pictured in the photo with fellow executives Mike Davies, Martin Young and Russ Campanello). It was a very nice moment we were proud to share with those in attendance representing Phase Forward. Our sincere congratulations to the entire Phase Forward team on this very well-deserved recognition.