Cancer Treatment Centers of America Selects WIRB-Copernicus Group to Facilitate the Expansion of its Clinical Research Program

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG), the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services and software to support clinical research, announced today that it has been chosen by Cancer Treatment Centers of America^® (CTCA) to help expand its clinical research program. WCG will assist CTCA in the centralization and optimization of its regulatory and ethical review process, allowing CTCA to manage a higher volume of cutting-edge research while maintaining the highest degree of participant protection. CTCA is a leader in integrative cancer care with a national network of five state-of-the-art hospitals in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa.

WCG Chairman and CEO Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D., commented, "CTCA is recognized as a leader in the field of oncology, offering comprehensive and innovative therapies to treat cancer patients. It is therefore no surprise that CTCA is assuming a more prominent role in the conduct of oncological research and follows the most rigorous, industry-leading practices to assure participant safety and regulatory compliance. We are proud to partner with CTCA and help grow its clinical research program."

"At CTCA, we are committed to offering our patients leading-edge cancer treatments through the continued expansion of our portfolio of evidence-based treatment options. To support our growth, we are adopting new practices to make the ethical and regulatory oversight of our clinical trials more efficient," said President, CTCA Medicine and Science, Maurie Markman, MD. "WCG, with its significant experience in reviewing oncology research, is an ideal partner to help us expand our research program while maintaining the highest standard of human subject protection."

WCG Oncology™, WCG's oncology-focused oversight division, will partner with CTCA in this process. Composed of industry luminaries, expert consultants and three dedicated institutional review boards (IRBs), WCG Oncology provides a thorough review of oncology research, and brings a deep understanding of the changing oncology research landscape, cutting-edge theory, scientific methods, technologies, and study designs to the process.

CTCA will also benefit from WCG's guidance in the centralization and optimization of its internal IRB. Composed of CTCA experts, and administered according to WCG's standard operating procedures, this CTCA panel is fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) through Western IRB (WIRB). Achieved by only 200 of approximately 3,000 IRBs in the United States, AAHRPP-accreditation confirms CTCA's adherence to the highest standards of ethical review and human subject protection.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America^®

Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Inc. (CTCA) is a national network of five hospitals that specialize in the treatment of patients fighting complex or advanced-stage cancer. CTCA offers an integrative approach to cancer treatment that combines surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with nutritional counseling, naturopathic medicine, mind-body therapy, and spiritual support to enhance quality of life and minimize side effects during treatment. The company serves patients from all 50 states at hospitals located in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa.  Known for delivering the Mother Standard^® of care and Patient Empowerment Medicine^®, CTCA provides patients with comprehensive information about their treatment options so they can participate in their treatment decisions. For more information about CTCA, go to www.cancercenter.com.

About WIRB-Copernicus Group

WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) is the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical solutions for clinical research. The company provides Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews, and Human Research Protection (HRP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Biosafety consulting services. Its technology offerings include IRB workflow management solutions (IRBNet), clinical trial management software for sponsors and contract research organizations (ePharmaSolutions), and Part-11 compliant online learning solutions for research professionals (WCG Academy).

The pioneer of independent ethical oversight, WCG continues to drive progress in the clinical research space. WCG empowers clients to accelerate life-saving advancements, while ensuring that the risks of progress never outweigh the value of human life.

For more information, please visit www.wcgclinical.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical.

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SOURCE WIRB-Copernicus Group

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