NIH Announces Consortium to Streamline Gene Therapy Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this week that they were joining forces with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ten pharmaceutical companies and five non-profit organizations to accelerate the development of gene therapies for rare diseases. The new public-private partnership, called the Bespoke Gene Therapy Consortium, aims to overcome obstacles and streamline the […]
The Importance of Real-time Data and Safety Monitoring
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine Houston announced this week that they were stopping a clinical trial investigating the efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The reason, according to the principal investigator, was that statisticians had deemed the NIH-funded study to be futile. In other words, even with more […]
Critical Considerations for Remote Clinical Trials
Even as research centers and academic institutions re-open after shutdowns due to COVID-19, many researchers are looking at ways to use remote technologies in their clinical trials. In South Carolina, for example, nicotine addiction researchers[1] are examining how to enroll smokers in their studies. They are evaluating e-consents, online surveys and questionnaires, as well as […]
Lessons Learned (so far) in COVID-19
Even as communities start the process of evaluating re-opening, many experts believe that a new normal will be with us for a long time. Physical distancing, face masks and ubiquitous alcohol gel will be part of daily life. The risk of recurrence spikes also looms ahead and threatens a return to stricter “stay at home” […]
Taking Advantage of NIH Funding Increases for Investigator-Initiated Clinical Research Requires Thoughtful Protocol Writing
Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the approval of a budget appropriation bill for funding through September 2020. In it, the NIH receives $41.68 billion in funding, an increase of $2.6 billion from FY 2019. For NIH, the new budget appropriation includes $500 million for the All of Us precision medicine study and a […]
New CITI Program Courses and Webinar Help Researchers and Institutions Meet Regulatory Requirements
(Miami, FL) — The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program), a division of BRANY, has announced new online courses and webinars designed to help research professionals understand and comply with regulatory requirements for clinical trials. The three courses and webinars address critical regulatory requirements: Transitioning research to the Revised Common Rule Protocol registration and disclosure […]
Gene Therapy Research — Is Your Institution Ready?
Recent news about approved immunotherapy and gene therapies has generated excitement around the possibilities of treating difficult diseases. Organizations have increased funding in this area, including a recently announced $1.3 million grant in funding by the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy for research in gliobastoma, sarcoma and ovarian cancer. The increased attention and funding means […]
NIH’s Final Policy on Single Institutional Review Boards Has Widespread Implications for Research Institutions
The NIH has released its final policy on the use of central IRBs for multi-site research. Starting May 2017, in multi-site studies in the United States involving non-exempt human subjects research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), research institutions will be expected to use a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) to conduct the […]