Thinking outside the boxNINDS and the Clinical Research Collaboration

摘要

In this issue of Neurology~R, Lindblad et al. report the potential breadth of application of a new National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) program intended to make clinical research more efficient. The authors have analyzed the clinical research studies currently-funded by NINDS and conclude that up to 40% could be conducted within a research network comprised of interested community neurologists and neurosurgeons, the Clinical Research Collaboration (CRC).The reality is that despite NINDS's successes, it takes a long time for a fundable idea to reach general application. A practical goal of the CRC network is to compress the time needed to bring new therapy ideas to application by shortening the time spent in preliminary safety and dose finding studies as well as pivotal randomized efficacy trials. Speeding processes will save money and allow more clinical research to be funded. Further, the network will enable observational and trial research on rare diseases in the community, where patients live, and on common, non-life threatening conditions unlikely to be attracted to academic centers, where research has traditionally been performed.