WRAL Tech Wire

 In the news: Big 3 pick BlackBerry; Cisco phone hack; Sensus wins deal; Quintiles partnership; IBM targets small businesses

Inside the Bulldog blog: Big carriers will sell new BlackBerry phones; Is your Cisco phone a spy?; utility picks Sensus meters; Quintiles signs partnership deal in Asia; new IBM service targets small businesses.

 Quintiles confirms it's seeking nearly $2B to refinance its debt

Like other firms, Quintiles is seeking to take advantage of low interest rates in order to refinance debt. Bloomberg news is reporting that Quintiles could land a nearly $2 billion loan.

 Quintiles' CIO cracks Computerworld IT 100 list

Richard Thomas, chief information officer at Quintiles, is one of the global technology executives making the Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leaders list for 2013.

 SAS acquires 'cloud' technology from rPath, hires 19 employees

SAS has acquired some technology and has hired a group of employees associated with that technology from Raleigh-based rPath, which is in the process of shutting down. The employees will form a new technology group at SAS.

SAS

 Quintiles, founder Gillings receive prestigious awards

Dennis Gillings, the founder and long-time CEO of Quintiles, receives a lifetime achievement award and the firm is recognized as the clinical research organization of the year by U.K.-based Scrip.

Dennis Gillings

 Quintiles tops global international list in female execs

Quintiles rises two spots on the second World's Best Multinational Workplaces list to 23rd, and a major reason is its emphasis on female executives. The world's largest life science services firm has the greatest percentage of female execs among the 25 companies ranked.

 SAS tops best place to work in world list; Quintiles 23rd

SAS is No. 1 on the second annual global best places to work list and Quintiles is No. 23 as selected by the Great Place to Work institute. The World's Best Multinational Workplaces list of 25 companies also includes NetApp, Cisco and Novo Nordisk, which have large operations in the Research Triangle area.

SAS

 Patients recruited online provide valid data, Quintiles says

Patients recruited over the Internet to provide health-related information for research and studies are a reliable source for information, Quintiles says in a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Quintiles at 30

 $9M in new funding positions Clinipace for more deals

Clinical research organization Clinipace's fundraising haul today of $9 million puts it in a position to do more of what the Morrisville company has been doing in over the last two years - finding and acquiring companies.

Clinipace's website touts its growing reach, expertise

 State of life science in N.C.: 'Highs' mixed with 'lows'

Throughout a day-long program, business leaders reflect on the "highs" wrought by the unique collaborative environment permeating North Carolina's life-science community, to the "lows" of an uncertain global economic and regulatory climate.

 Quintiles reportedly seeking $175M dividend loan

The Durham-based biopharmaceutical company is seeking a $175 million loan to pay a dividend to shareholders, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction.

 New CEO: Quintiles eyes possible acquisitions

In an interview with Bloomberg news, Quintiles CEO Tom Pike stays mum about the research giant going public again. But he does say Quintiles might make some acquisitions.

Tom Pike

 Quintiles reportedly considers going public again

Quintiles was bought in 2008 by private-equity firms including TPG Capital and Bain Capital LLC in a deal that valued the company at $3.8 billion, including debt, another person said.

Quintiles' headquarters

 Quintiles names exec to lead health plans, hospital efforts

Dr. Brian Kelly joins Quintiles as president of its Payer & Provider Solutions group from Aetna.

 SciQuest grants; Lenovo film winners; Quintiles deal; BDSI good news; Gentris expands

Inside the Bulldog Blog: SciQuest picks five charitable grant winners; Lenovo names winners in film contest; Quintiles lands deal in Mexico; BDSI reports good news on drug; Gentris expands headquarters.

 Quintiles: Economist report backs its China strategy

A new report about biopharma business opportunities in China from the Economist Intelligence Unit - which Quintiles sponsored - cites a strategy that the RTP-based firm says its already following.

Brochure touts Quintiles oncology services in China

 Quintiles ranks No. 6 in InformationWeek '500'

Lowe's, PPD, SAS, Bank of America and Martin Marietta also crack the top 200 in the annual ranking of information technology trend-setters as selected by InformationWeek magazine.

IW 500

 Quintiles acquires RTP-based genomics testing firm

The deal advances Quntiles' efforts to advance personalized medicine, the company says. Expression Analysis recently won a $27 million contract with the EPA.

EA now part of Quintiles

 Quintiles keeps Expression Analysis CEO, all employees in deal

The world's largest life science services firm is incorporating the privately held genomics testing firm Expression Analysis as part of its plans to expand genomics, bioinformatics capabilities.

Quintiles at 30

 In the news: Quintiles, Salix, Furiex, AAD

Inside the Bulldog Blog: Quintiles lands drug promotion deal; Salix seeks FDA meeting about drug response; Furiex resubmits diabetes drug; Advanced Animal Diagnostics adds two execs.