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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLIPS Goes WorldwideLupus Assessment Software Release by ADS-Limathon LtdAugust 2001 The
Spring of 2000 saw the launch of ADS-Limathon’s first clinical research
database. The British Lupus Integrated Prospective System, or BLIPS as it is
known, was launched to a host of worldwide Lupus researchers. The product was
the result of four years collaboration between British Isles Lupus Assessment
Group (BILAG) and ADS. Since the
Eighties, the BILAG group has been monitoring thousands of patients with the
autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Many authoritative
clinical papers have emanated from the group and they have documented a complex
index for assessing and controlling the disease. For ADS, the project started
out in 1996 as a simple data migration of a legacy BILAG database into MS Access
2.0. Such is the power of Access, it ended up four years later as a highly
sought after tool for Lupus researchers worldwide. BLIPS Version One was released exclusively to the Bilag group in 1998 as a direct replacement for their old DOS BILAG database. It included a completely new GUI interface for the Bilag index – monitoring of eight clinical systems – mucocutaneous, immunological, vascular, haematological, cardiovascular, biochemical neurological, musculoskeletal, and added new functionality recording of medication drugs and laboratory results. Version
Two in 1999 added two further internationally recognised indices – SLICC and
SF36. Graphing of results was introduced to the functionality, and the product
became a network client-server application. Version 3.0 was finally released worldwide in 2000. This added two more indices, SLAM-R and Selena Sledai. It was recoded in Access 97 and a 100-page user guide and helptext were added. Version 3.06 was released in July 2001. Existing users obtained a free upgrade to this version on-line. This version added further graphing capability and changes to Renal scoring. BLIPS Version 3.08 was released in October 2001. Existing users can obtain a free upgrade to this version on-line. This version added improved Export facilities and date-stamp on file names.
BLIPS
3.0 is now in use in major universities and
hospitals throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Canada and as far a field as the Philippines,
Korea, and
Australia. Already it is being used by one US pharmaceutical company for a
clinical drug trial.
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