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ACRO Applauds Appointment of Dr. Harold Varmus to Lead NCI
Reform of Clinical Trials Process Should Be Top Priority
May 18, 2010 – Washington, DC – The Association of Clinical Research Organizations, which represents the global CRO industry, today released the following statement regarding the appointment of Nobel Prize winning researcher Dr. Harold Varmus to lead the National Cancer Institute.
“As the voice of research organizations that annually conduct clinical studies involving more than 300,000 cancer patients, ACRO applauds the appointment of Dr. Harold Varmus as Director of the National Cancer Institute,” said John Lewis, ACRO Vice President of Public Affairs. “While Dr. Varmus inherits a full portfolio at NCI, ACRO urges him to immediately begin work to reform the clinical trial process at NCI, in which 40 percent of Phase III clinical trials are never completed. With limited funding available, efficient use of every research dollar is imperative. ACRO looks forward to sharing its recommendations for reform of the NCI’s clinical trial system with Dr. Varmus and his team.”
ACRO is making a series of recommendations for reform in response to the Institute of Medicine’s report: A National Cancer Clinical Trial System for the 21stCentury: Reinvigorating the NCI Cooperative Group Program.
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About ACRO
The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) represents companies whose focus is clinical research. The association provides an active voice for the global CRO industry, which provides specialized services that are integral to the development of drugs, biologics and medical devices. Through its member companies, ACRO helps improve the quality, efficiency and safety of biomedical research. ACRO member companies employ approximately 70,000 professionals worldwide and annually conduct more than 9,000 clinical trials involving nearly two million participants in 115 countries. For more information, please visit www.www.acrohealth.org.