Cambridge, Massachusetts (PRWEB) March 06, 2014 -- The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety, a non-profit multi-stakeholder collaborative building a shared global system to more effectively deliver promising new therapeutics, today announced the launch of a Global Stakeholder Consultation to better inform the development of standards, processes and policies to promote excellence and sustainability of clinical research sites worldwide.
The Global Consultation marks the beginning of the second phase of ACRES’ Site Accreditation Standards Initiative (SASI) which began with the convening of the SASI Project Steering Committee one year ago, chaired by Linda Meyerson, former COO of ICON, a leading global CRO, and Tracy Blumenfeld of RapidTrials, a premier site-management organization.
The Consultation will include a series of surveys, interviews and face-to-face interactive meetings with stakeholders from all sectors of the clinical research enterprise over the next year. The surveys will be powered by ACRES strategic ally, ViS Research, a provider of unique online feasibility assessment technology headed by Dr. Fabio Thiers. The resulting report will be widely shared with the global clinical research community.
The Consultation will build on the Committee’s first year of work, which will be discussed at the inaugural face-to-face meeting in San Diego in June, 2014. Additional meetings are anticipated in Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia in association with the development of ACRES regional coordinating centers. Working groups will also begin to develop standards for excellence in several domains: personnel, facilities, management, information technology, integrity and recruitment.
“Interest in developing standards and processes to identify and reward outstanding research sites has intensified dramatically since the ACRES vision of a global network of accredited 'sites of excellence' was introduced three years ago,” said Blumenfeld. “This global consultation seeks the views of all stakeholders, so that we can build a system that benefits all stakeholders. We look forward to collaborating with other initiatives aligned with this effort.”
“Through its many strategic allies, ACRES can now access more than 60,000 research sites worldwide, as well as patient groups, CROs, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies, to ensure that the voices of all stakeholders are heard, understood and implemented for the benefit of all,” added Johan Karlberg, ACRES VP for Site Development and Support. “The industry is finally recognizing the critical importance of high-performing, professional sites, and we must build a system encompassing standards, tools and metrics to appropriately recognize, support and reward them.”
With the launch of the Global Stakeholder Consultation, ACRES also announced that Essex Management will serve as a strategic consulting ally to help facilitate the development of the ACRES Global Network of high-performing sites. Essex is currently providing consulting expertise and project management support for two of ACRES foundation initiatives including SASI, as well as supporting the development of a robust shared technology platform, through the ACRES Site Optics and Quality Informatics (SOQI) project. Essex will help define the vision, scope, and a tactical approach to successfully realizing the ACRES’s strategic vision of qualification and accreditation for a global network of high-performing clinical research sites, ensuring forward momentum of the key initiatives and facilitating communication among the engaged parties.
Essex partner and vice president, David Loose, noted, “We are proud to support ACRES and the ACRES mission. The ACRES initiatives address critical needs across the entire clinical research domain through a multi-stakeholder collaboration of the willing. It provides the foundation for a more efficient and sustainable clinical research enterprise, resulting in faster patient access to better and safer medical treatments.”
About ACRES
ACRES is a non-profit organization reshaping the world of global clinical research by collaboratively leveraging the expertise and investments of stakeholders worldwide to build and maintain a shared global system for clinical trials that are responsibly conducted according to the highest standards of safety, quality and efficiency.
About Essex Management
Essex Management is headquartered in Rockville, MD with expertise in the design, implementation, and management of complex, multi-stakeholder healthcare informatics projects and programs. Essex is proud to have served the goals of notable organizations such as the National Cancer Institute along with leading academic research organizations and major bio-pharmaceutical companies. Essex is composed of domain-leading professionals who possess a unique combination of skills in technology and informatics, clinical research, and management consulting and strategy.
About ViS Research
ViS Research is a global technology company committed to optimizing drug development by enabling access to a robust, interactive and fully integrated online feasibility platform. It enables stakeholders to easily find and share information that can enhance global clinical research planning, thereby greatly improving quality, cost-efficiency and speed in the development of needed new medicines.
Dr. Mary F. Tobin, Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES), http://www.acresglobal.net, +1 410-987-5509, [email protected]
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