ACRES Global Network for clinical research moving ahead

Leadership Announcements

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) announced appointment of its senior management team for global operations and systems development, a major milestone in its efforts to collaboratively reshape the world of clinical research, patterned after the international air transport system.

ACRES President and Co-Founder, Greg Koski, former director of the Office for Human Research protections at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with Co-Founders Beat Widler, managing partner at Widler and Schiemann (Zug, Switzerland) and former global head of quality for Hoffmann-La Roche, and Andrew Olmsted, Vice President at Research Dataware of Cambridge, MA announced the creation of the ACRES Executive Office as the organization implements a formal management structure.

"This is an important step for ACRES," said Koski. "The personal commitments of such outstanding individuals to this effort speak to the importance and timeliness of the ACRES initiative and will position the organization well to meet the challenges ahead."

Several members of that executive subcommittee will assume formal leadership roles:

Honorio Silva, president of the Inter-American Foundation for Clinical Research, formerly vice-president for Science and Medical Professional Development at Pfizer, will play a critical integrating role as Vice-President for Professionalism and System Development.

ACRES co-founders Andrew Olmsted and Beat Widler will assume roles as Vice-President for Informatics and Vice-President for Quality Management, respectively.

Brian Edwards, principal consultant at UK-based NDA Regulatory Science, Ltd, becomes Vice-President for Safety and Pharmacovigilance.

These appointments provide leadership for critical operating domains of the ACRES Global Network.

Koski continues as ACRES President and Chief Executive Officer and Matt Whalen, principal at life-sciences consulting firm IMPACT LLC, steps in as ACRES Chief Operating Officer. The new ACRES Executive Office will also be home to General Counsel Dennis La Croix, formerly Vice-president, Legal at Genzyme.

Koski also indicated that with the Executive Office in place, there will soon be an announcement of a Board of Directors. The Board will include internationally-recognized and respected individuals who are visionary champions for innovation and integration in clinical research.

About ACRES

ACRES is a private, non-profit, multi-sector organization aligning ethical principles and good business practices to address critical challenges facing the drug and device development in a socially responsible manner. 

ACRES is working collaboratively with stakeholders world-wide to develop site-accreditation standards, launch safety and quality initiatives, and to build a global technology network to support the clinical research system and its oversight. Through standardization of policies and procedures, regulatory simplification, professionalism and information technology, the ACRES system will enhance safety, quality and efficiency while reducing the cost and time required to responsibly deliver new medical products and better health to the people of the world.

For Further Information

The Cambridge, MA-based non-profit organization has also launched a new website to provide detailed information about the organization and its upcoming initiatives (www.acresglobal.net).

Global Headquarters: One Broadway, 14^th Floor, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA, 02142.

Contact: Dr. Greg Koski at [email protected]

SOURCE Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES)