Involvement with Trial Innovation Network benefits Penn State researchers

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has been named a clinical research site for the Memory Improvement Through Nicotine Dosing Study through its membership in the Trial Innovation Network. The network offers clinical research services available through Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

The Trial Innovation Network is a collaborative initiative of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program that aims to remove roadblocks in the clinical trials process and accelerate the translation of new interventions to benefit patients. Using the network allows researchers to tap into national resources for a stream-lined operational implementation of clinical studies, giving them more time to focus on their scientific questions.

“The Trial Innovation Network was developed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science in an attempt to help streamline the clinical trials process from start to finish,” said Dr. Neal Thomas, associate dean for clinical research, Penn State College of Medicine. “By virtue of our successful CTSA grant application in 2016, under the direction of principal investigator Dr. Larry Sinoway, all Penn State investigators now have access to the nation's experts in clinical research.”

The Memory Improvement Through Nicotine Dosing Study is testing whether use of a nicotine patch can help the increasing number of people with mild cognitive impairment, who currently have no treatment options. Paul Eslinger, PhD, and Krishnankutty Sathian, MBBS, PhD, are co-investigators at Hershey. The trial is based out of the Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute at Keck School of Medicine of USC. The Medical Center was identified as a potential study site because of the organization's involvement in the Trial Innovation Network.

The Trial Innovation Network focuses on the implementation of common agreements, a central IRB, and innovative recruitment measures to help researchers conduct multi-site clinical trials. Specific attention has been paid, both locally and nationally, to recruitment and retention. The Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Penn State Cancer Institute co-sponsor a recruitment and retention specialist, Ariana Winder.

Researchers interested in input on any aspect of a clinical trial should request a consultation from Penn State's CTSA Hub Liaison Team. Individual services available include study budget, projected timelines, recruitment and retention plan and materials, initiating a central IRB, study feasibility assessment, standard agreements, community engagement, electronic health record cohort assessment, and other services. The liaison team also reviews multi-site project proposals and determines what projects should be submitted to the Trial Innovation Network for further review and consideration.

For details, email trialinnovationnetwork@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.

“The Trial Innovation Network is hopeful that clinical research will become more efficient, streamlined, and effective, which will have a direct impact on the patients we treat daily at Penn State,” Thomas said.

The Trial Innovation Network includes one Recruitment Innovation Center, three Trial Innovation Centers and the 64 CTSA Program Hubs. See details here.

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