Nationwide Children's Hospital has been selected to serve as one of 13 special translational research centers in a network of 77 clinical trial sites that are part of the Therapeutics Development Network (TDN) of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The translational research centers will lead the newest Phase I clinical trials and provide scientific direction to the entire network. This new designation will allow Nationwide Children's to be a leader in cutting-edge research combating the life-shortening, genetic disease cystic fibrosis.

"As a translational research center for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Therapeutics Development Network, our patients will have access to some of the latest advances in cystic fibrosis treatment and our faculty will be some of the first to generate new research projects," said Karen McCoy, MD, director of the hospital's Cystic Fibrosis Care Center and chief of Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children's. McCoy is also a faculty member of The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The clinical trials network is responsible for facilitating safe, rapid and coordinated evaluation of new treatments for cystic fibrosis. In order to meet the growing need for study participants and expanded research programs, the network was expanded this year from 18 to 77 sites, including the 13 translational research centers.

The Section of Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children's participated in its first cystic fibrosis clinical trial in 1992, the third-ever cystic fibrosis clinical trial world-wide, and has since taken part in more than 50 clinical trials for cystic fibrosis. The hospital has been a CFF TDN member since 2002.

"Nationwide Children's selection as a cystic fibrosis translational research center reflects our institution's outstanding ability to unite progressive clinical care with innovative scientific research," said John Barnard, MD, president of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's and a faculty member of The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "We are extremely proud of our state-of-the-art cystic fibrosis program."

Added Preston W. Campbell, III, Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: "We congratulate Nationwide Children's on joining a network of premier clinical trial facilities. These centers will help CF drugs move more swiftly from the research and testing stage into the hands of patients who need them."

Since its inception in 1998, the clinical trials network has established processes and central reading centers for microbiology, inflammatory markers, nasal potential difference measurement, chest imaging and infant pulmonary function testing. These standard operating procedures are available to all cystic fibrosis researchers worldwide and have resulted in improvements in care and prolonged survival of cystic fibrosis patients. "The outlook for this devastating disease is better than ever. The median age of survival for cystic fibrosis patients has more than doubled in the past 25 yerars. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been a visionary in its diversified to fighting CF and attacking the disease from every angle," said McCoy.

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Nationwide Children's Hospital