Digirad chose QAD CRM because of its excellent functionality as well as seamless integration with QAD Enterprise Applications, its longstanding ERP platform. "Strategic and QAD helped us identify CRM's full potential and how we could apply it to our business needs. QAD CRM will help us communicate better internally and quickly address the needs of our customers," said Donna Vogt, director of customer service for Digirad.

"QAD CRM maximizes communication between sales and customer service. Cross functionality has streamlined processes and helps us respond to customers faster. Now when a customer calls, we can quickly assess their equipment service history and respond to their immediate needs. All necessary information is listed on one easily navigated page. QAD CRM will help us stay on task when following up with the customer's purchasing process," said Vogt.

"There is tremendous pressure on life sciences companies to bring new offerings to market, improve operational efficiencies, comply with stringent regulatory requirements and meet customer quality demands -- while delivering top-line growth and bottom-line results," said Doug Novak, president and chief executive officer of Strategic Information Group. "Companies like Digirad rely on Strategic Information Group to help them leverage enterprise technology to grow their businesses, drive ROI and compete successfully in the global marketplace."

"Today's life sciences companies need enterprise solutions that provide the utmost agility for the rapidly shifting global marketplace," said Phil Friedman, vice president, consumer and life sciences industries for QAD. "QAD CRM helps manufacturers create long-term, positive customer relationships that translate to long-term, positive bottom-line results."

In competitive and volatile markets, maintaining strong customer relations is critical to continued success. Challenged to both sustain and expand the customer base, businesses need industry strength tools to acquire, service and support their most important asset. QAD CRM helps the sales force work smarter and create customer relationships that drive revenue; marketing automation capabilities build pipeline by helping sales and marketing professionals target the right markets and execute campaigns profitably.

About Digirad

Digirad Corporation (NASDAQ:DRAD) is a provider of cardiovascular imaging services and solid-state nuclear medicine imaging products to physician offices, hospitals and other medical services. The company has designed and commercialized the solid-state nuclear gamma camera for the detection of cardiovascular disease and other medical conditions, offering both mobile and fixed imaging systems. Mobile imaging services that include leasing the imaging system, certified personnel and other support required to perform imaging are offered through wholly owned subsidiaries Digirad Imaging Solutions, Inc. and Digirad Ultrascan Solutions, Inc.

About Strategic Information Group

Strategic Information Group helps manufacturers, suppliers, OEMS and virtual manufacturers maximize business value through the application of enterprise technologies. Strategic Information Group delivers a full range of proven enterprise solutions including ERP, CRM, Regulatory Management and Corporate Performance. Strategic Information Group provides consulting, implementation, validation, training and support services to the automotive, consumer goods, food and beverage, electronics, industrial products, and life sciences industries.

About QAD

QAD is a leading provider of enterprise applications for global manufacturing companies. QAD applications provide critical functionality for managing manufacturing resources and operations within and beyond the enterprise, enabling global manufacturers to collaborate with their customers, suppliers and partners to make and deliver the right product, at the right cost and at the right time. Manufacturers of automotive, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, industrial and life science products use QAD applications at approximately 6,100 licensed sites in more than 90 countries and in as many as 27 languages. For more information about QAD, telephone +1 805 684 6614, or visit the QAD Web site at www.qad.com, or register for the QAD Community at www.qad.com/community.

"QAD" is a registered trademark of QAD Inc. All other products or company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to Investors:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, evolving demand for the company's software products and products that operate with the company's products; the company's ability to sustain license and service demand; the company's ability to leverage changes in technology; the company's ability to sustain customer renewal rates at current levels; the publication of opinions by industry and financial analysts about the company, its products and technology; the reliability of estimates of transaction and integration costs and benefits; the entry of new competitors or new offerings by existing competitors and the associated announcement of new products and technological advances by them; delays in localizing the company's products for new or existing markets; the ability to recruit and retain key personnel; delays in sales as a result of lengthy sales cycles; changes in operating expenses, pricing, timing of new product releases, the method of product distribution or product mix; timely and effective integration of newly acquired businesses; general economic conditions; exchange rate fluctuations; and, the global political environment. In addition, revenue and earnings in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software industry are subject to fluctuations. Software license revenue, in particular, is subject to variability with a significant proportion of revenue earned in the last month of each quarter. Given the high margins associated with license revenue, modest fluctuations can have a substantial impact on net income. Investors should not use any one quarter's results as a benchmark for future performance. For a more detailed description of the risk factors associated with the company and the industries in which it operates, please refer to the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2008 ended January 31, 2008.

SOURCE: QAD, Inc

Strategic Information Group 
Shaw Harms, +1 760-697-1057 
shaw@strategic.com 
or 
Fleishman-Hillard 
Kalindi Multani, +1 212-453-2147 
kalindi.multani@fleishman.com

Under the terms of the agreement, Wyeth made an up-front equity investment in Advanced Life Sciences through the purchase of common stock representing approximately 4.9% of the Company's total outstanding shares. In addition to future royalty payments, Advanced Life Sciences would receive milestone and regulatory payments based on successful achievement of clinical, regulatory and commercial objectives in specific markets. Advanced Life Sciences and Wyeth will collaborate to develop additional clinical data in the Asia Pacific region to support regulatory filings in that region. The overall value of the transaction could potentially exceed $100 million.

"We are very pleased to be working with Wyeth to support development and commercialization efforts in the Asia Pacific region. We believe this partnership validates our scientific achievements and the commercial potential for cethromycin," said Michael T. Flavin, Ph.D., the Company's chairman and chief executive officer. "The need for new antibiotics and subsequent market growth in this region is outpacing that of the rest of the world due to high bacterial resistance rates. Wyeth is a worldwide leader in the development and commercialization of novel respiratory therapeutics with a strong position in the Asia Pacific region and we are excited to be working with their team to be successful in bringing cethromycin to this key geography."

"Antibiotic resistance in the community is a serious public health problem worldwide. Data suggest that cethromycin has a favorable efficacy and safety profile in community acquired pneumonia and we view this product as a potential option to aid in the battle against potentially deadly pathogens," said Mark Larsen, President, Asia-Pacific and Nutritionals, for Wyeth. "If approved, we view cethromycin as an excellent addition to our strong portfolio of existing anti-infective agents, Tygacil(R) (tigecyline) and Zosyn(R) (piperacillin/tazobactam), and it is in line with our corporate objectives in a key growth region for Wyeth."

About Cethromycin

Cethromycin has shown higher in vitro potency and a broader range of activity than macrolides against Gram-positive bacteria associated with respiratory tract infections. In in vitro tests, cethromycin appears to be effective against penicillin- and macrolide-resistant bacteria. Cethromycin has a mechanism of action that may slow the ability of bacteria to develop resistance to the drug.

In addition to its utility in CAP, cethromycin is also being investigated for the prophylactic treatment of inhalation anthrax post-exposure and other pathogens of bioterror including tularemia, plague and melioidosis. The FDA has designated cethromycin as an orphan drug for the prophylactic treatment of inhalation anthrax post-exposure, but the drug is not yet approved for this or any other indication.

About Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

CAP is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States. CAP and other respiratory tract infections are caused by pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. If not treated properly, CAP is potentially fatal and the bacteria that cause CAP are developing resistance to current standard of care treatments.

Macrolides and penicillins are currently the first-line treatments for respiratory tract infections such as CAP. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most prevalent pathogen that causes CAP and resistance rates to this organism range between 40% for macrolides and 60% for penicillins in the U.S. Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance is more common in the Asia Pacific region, where rates exceed 50% for penicillin and 80% for macrolides. As macrolide and penicillin resistance grows and has the potential to cause more clinical failures, there is a need for new antibiotics with unique mechanisms of action that can overcome emerging bacterial resistance.

About Advanced Life Sciences

Advanced Life Sciences is a pre-commercial stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, cancer and respiratory diseases. The Company's lead candidate, cethromycin, is a novel once-a-day oral antibiotic in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of respiratory tract infections including CAP. For more information, please visit http://www.advancedlifesciences.com.

(1) Abbott Laboratories retains rights to cethromycin in Japan.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements represent our management's judgment regarding future events. The Company does not undertake any obligations to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed herein due to several factors including the our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval and labeling of our product candidates; our plans to develop and commercialize our product candidates; the loss of key scientific or management personnel; the size and growth of potential markets for our product candidates and our ability to serve those markets; regulatory developments in the U.S. and foreign countries; the rate and degree of market acceptance of any future products; the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; our ability to obtain financing on terms acceptable to us; our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates; the successful development of our sales and marketing capabilities; the success of competing drugs that become available; and the performance of third party collaborators and manufacturers. These and additional risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc.

http://www.advancedlifesciences.com