In spite of unparalleled opportunities to assess novel therapies for both common and rare neurological disorders, investigators involved in multicenter clinical trials face an increasing array of challenges in efficiently designing, powering and performing such trials. The Network of Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NEXT) is intended to help address this increasingly complex environment and facilitate an efficient robust mechanism for multicenter neuroscience trials via the creation of centralized infrastructure supporting a nationalized network of high quality sites and coordinating centers. Based at the University of Utah, the Utah Regional Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (UR-NEXT) will provide an ideal mechanism for coordinating recruitment and access throughout a 5 state region in the Intermountain West. The coordinated efforts of a leadership team with a track record of collaboration and experience in both pediatric and adult clinical studies and trial and an experienced clinical trials manager will ensure the performance of high quality neuroscience trials across a broad range of diseases. The UR-NEXT will be centered at the University of Utah, where longstanding and close partnerships exist between the Clinical Neuroscience Center, the only integrated neuroscience center in a 5 state region, the Salt Lake City Veteran's Administration Medical Center, the western anchor for the Rocky Mountain Region, and Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC), the leading pediatric referral center for the region. UR-NEXT will additionally benefit from an established network of referring community neurologists with interest in clinical trials, the Western Intermountain Neurological Organization (WINO), which has members ranging from southern Utah to Montana, and Nevada to western Colorado. The Neurology Department has sections in each major subspecialty and substantial expertise in the management and performance of both adult and pediatric multicenter clinical trials. The UR-NEXT will benefit from the Center for Clinical and Translational Science as well as numerous other collaborative resources. Overall, the network has primary access to a population of approximately 8 million covered lives, making it the ideal choice for a NEXT site for this region.
The UR-NEXT will strengthen the overall NEXT network by providing leadership and clinical trial expertise for both pediatric and adult neurologic disorders In addition, the UR-NEXT will provide an ideal venue for access to NEXT studies for patients living in the 5 state Intermountain West.
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