NEW YORK, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research (MJFF) has awarded three clinical trial centers $125,000 each for the
Parkinson's Disease Trial Recruitment Innovation (PD-TRI) program, a new
initiative to increase clinical trial awareness, accessibility and volunteer
enrollment.
The centers selected for PD-TRI are: Barrow
Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in
Boston, MA; and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR. Centers
were chosen on several criteria, including a large clinical research portfolio,
strong infrastructure for executing Parkinson's clinical trials, and commitment
to implementing and assessing novel interventions for recruitment of research
volunteers.
Clinical Trials are Vital to Parkinson's Research Progress
The only route to new and better Parkinson's
treatments, and ultimately a cure, is through clinical trials. Willing
participants are crucial to the successful completion of trials and the
development of novel therapies. Unfortunately, the majority of clinical trials
face recruitment challenges that lead to increased costs and sometimes even
study abandonment. Certain barriers, such as limited knowledge of research
opportunities, negative perceptions of research, and lack of transportation can
prevent eligible individuals from participating. By overcoming some of these
hurdles, PD-TRI hopes to facilitate recruitment of volunteers — critical
partners in advancing research.
"Clinical trial sites enroll, on
average, only one volunteer per month," says Sohini Chowdhury, deputy CEO
at The Michael J. Fox Foundation. "This contributes to the lengthy process
of Parkinson's drug development, and PD-TRI aims to advance understanding of
recruitment to address this challenge."
Implementing Solutions to Increase Clinical Trial Engagement
As part of the PD-TRI program, individual
centers will pilot novel interventions within Parkinson's clinical trials.
Methods may include:
•
Creating a clinical
trial referral network of local community practitioners;
•
Using behavioral
economics principles, such as incentives, to bridge gaps in volunteers'
awareness of clinical research opportunities;
•
Engaging caregivers to
help make trials more accessible to patients with PD cognitive impairment; and
•
Offering transportation
to and from study visits in partnership with Lyft Concierge.
•
Each trial center will perform ongoing
qualitative and quantitative assessments to evaluate the impact of their
selected interventions. The sites plan to submit their experiences for peer-reviewed
publication to inform clinical trial recruitment practices and speed field-wide
developments in Parkinson's research.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
As the world's largest nonprofit funder of
Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to
accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those
living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an
aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active
global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders,
clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding
more than $700 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally
altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of
worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking
collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government
research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease
clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's
awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates
the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.
SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research
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