Lewy Body Dementia Association Announces 24 Research Centers of Excellence

The LBDA RCOE program will provide a centralized, coordinated research resource, supporting an expanded effort in conducting clinical trials related to LBD while helping to provide expert clinical care for patients, families and caregivers.

"Successful clinical trials are the holy grail for all the stakeholders in the Lewy body dementia treatment community, so the goal of the Research Centers of Excellence program is to benefit patients with the disease," said Dr. Bradley Boeve, Mayo Clinic's LBDA RCOE lead primary investigator. "Lewy body dementia is chronically underdiagnosed, so we seek to address a decades-old challenge of finding and enrolling enough correctly diagnosed patients, working with clinicians and staff who understand the disease, and reaching the right patients and families to encourage participation in clinical trials. Now we can address all three. The centers involved in the program are working together with a common goal to improve the understanding of the disease in the scientific, medical and general public communities."

LBDA's RCOE program aims to establish a clinical trials-ready network of leading institutions that share the common vision of providing the highest level of clinical care over the course of LBD treatment. In addition, the RCOE network seeks to increase access to support for caregivers and people living with LBD, increase the knowledge of LBD among the medical community, and construct administrative infrastructure and generate the resources necessary to further advance LBD research and care.

"Clinical trials with a patient population like LBD's require experienced diagnosticians to ensure accurate patient participation," said Mike Koehler, Chief Executive Officer of LBDA. "This network can share a standardized approach to patient recruitment and data collection for clinical trials. That is why we are so grateful to have the expertise of 24 preeminent academic and medical research centers, coordinated by Mayo Clinic, one of the most prolific clinical research organizations in the US, comprising the LBDA RCOE.

"In addition to establishing the RCOE program, LBDA takes a major step forward launching a competitive research initiative via the RCOE. Fertilizing the LBD infrastructure will allow us to further our understanding of this disease and develop new ways care and support of the patients, families and caregivers. In addition to supporting those living with LBD, the Association's mission has always been to add to the scientific body of understanding about the disease to give hope to those living with it."

About LBDA's RCOE Network
The 24 RCOEs are spread across 17 states and the District of Columbia and are located in 23 American metropolitan areas. Each RCOE is led by recognized primary investigators (PIs) and co-investigators to conduct trials and provide expert care. A full listing of RCOE institutions is available on LBDA's website at https://www.lbda.org/rcoecenters.

The centers were chosen for their clinical expertise in LBD, experience running clinical trials in related conditions (combined, the 33 PIs have run 380 clinical trials in the past 5 years), their facility's capacity and willingness to participate, and their geographic locations.

More information on the LBDA RCOE program can be found on LBDA's website at https://www.lbda.org/rcoe.

Driving Clinical Trials
The RCOE will collaborate on industry-sponsored clinical trials and apply for federal funding for LBD research initiatives. As our program evolves LBDA hopes to fund our own clinical research initiatives as we move forward.

For more information about LBDA, the LBDA RCOE network, or LBD, please contact Mike Koehler at [email protected] or 215.822.3622.

About Lewy Body Dementia Association
The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization in raising awareness of Lewy body dementias (LBD), supporting patients, their families and caregivers, and promoting scientific advances. LBD is a progressive brain disease that affects thinking, movement, behavior, and impacts 1.4 million people in the United States. Visit www.lbda.org.

SOURCE Lewy Body Dementia Association

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http://www.lbda.org