I have two labs both working simultaneously on projects to support our company’s IND submission. Right now we are using emails and google docs to track progress, but it is cumbersome and things have been lost. What would you recommend for sharing of timely information between two labs, pre-clin manufacturing, regulatory and upper management.

Answer

Thanks for this question. Sharing knowledge between remote labs is indeed a challenge, which we’re working to tackle at Labguru too (www.labguru.com).
Your problem is even more complex as research labs and manufacturing labs tend to have different ‘language’ and require different set of tools (we focus solely on research labs).
It sounds like what you’re looking for is a good Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) that will allow for collaborative work and allow management to oversee the progress.
I cannot recommend a single system, because they are quite diverse and the decision would eventually depend on your accurate needs and budget. However, when choosing the right system, you should take into account also things like ease of installation, support and system maintenance that are sometimes overlooked but are critical for the long term success of implementing a new system. I would look also into systems that will support the next phase required to your IND submissions (see http://www.mdsol.com/ for clinical trial management and systems to support your IP requirements.)