LifeTree eClinical Awarded New Clinical Study by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center; LifeTree's Clinical Research Tools Selected for Traumatic Brain Injury Associated with Combat Injuries.

TEMECULA, Calif. -- LifeTree eClinical(TM), a member of the FFF Enterprises Inc. family of companies and a leading provider of clinical electronic data capture and analysis systems, today announced that the company has been selected for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) trial to be conducted by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC). The study will include up to 3,000 U.S. military service members and veterans who have TBI. Patients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other DVBIC military and Veterans Administration sites will be followed during and after their hospital stays.

According to Laurie M. Ryan, Ph.D., the trial's purpose is to track and understand the kinds of problems associated with TBI in the military. "The TBI patients are predominantly male and younger - in their twenties," Dr. Ryan explained, "and the majority of the patients being seen now have been injured in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our goal is to use the information from this study to improve diagnosis and care of TBI."

The DVBIC has had a very successful transition to using clinical electronic data capture for its trials. "Prior to a treatment protocol for which we are also using LifeTree, we looked at several different companies," said Dr. Ryan. "LifeTree offered us both affordability and service. Our experience with LifeTree on the treatment protocol has been so positive that we decided to use the company for this study and another treatment study. LifeTree has been a joy to work with: You just can't beat their service component."

Patrick M. Schmidt, president and CEO of LifeTree's parent company, FFF Enterprises, was honored by the center's choice. "Being selected for this study, helping the men and women who have served our nation so bravely, is both humbling and rewarding for us," said Schmidt. "Our corporate vision is Helping Healthcare Care, and we are honored to be invited to contribute to the advancement of care for our nation's military personnel and veterans."

Approximately one TBI hospitalization occurs every minute in the United States. TBI is the principal cause of death and disability for young Americans, with an estimated total cost of some $25 billion per year. Similarly, TBI accounts for more than 40 percent of fatalities and at least 14 percent of surviving casualties in combat, requiring a disproportionate amount of acute and long-term combat casualty care resources. In peacetime, more than 7,000 active military, veterans and their family members with TBI are admitted to military and veterans hospitals every year.

"Outcomes from this project have broader health management implications for the 5.3 million Americans disabled by traumatic brain injury," said Gary Gabriel, Ph.D., LifeTree's vice president of sales and business development. "We are confident that our platform and exemplary customer service will be effective for this long-term study and support its broader implications."

Philip Quarles, LifeTree's CIO, expressed the LifeTree team's enthusiasm for working with Walter Reed's healthcare professionals. "The entire LifeTree team looks forward to working with Walter Reed's excellent team of doctors and nurses on this project. We are proud that the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center has selected LifeTree to work on a second TBI study."

About LifeTree eClinical

LifeTree eClinical, also known as LifeTree Technology LLC, is a member of the FFF Enterprises Inc. family of companies, with headquarters in Temecula. The LifeTree suite of clinical technologies and services has been used in Phase I through IV trials, patient registries and diagnostic and epidemiological studies. The LifeTree ICTM(TM) component of the LifeTree eClinical suite provides tools for clinical study design, data entry and data reporting. The suite is completely workflow driven and contains extensive clinical trial metrics and trial management tools that are built-in for designated roles within the clinical trial process. SAS data on demand and a complete menu for building data reports fully empower a study's data analyst. LifeTree ICTM's newest features include comprehensive patient-safety reporting, medical coding and capabilities for handling image data. The clinical data is fully audit trailed, and it is CDISC- and 21 CFR Part 11-compliant. For more information, call 800-211-2799, ext. 1356, e-mail [e-mail] or visit www.lifetreeclinical.com.