WIRB-Copernicus Group and the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium Announce New Partnership to Improve Efficiency of Oncology Research Reviews

PRINCETON, N.J. and NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- WIRB-Copernicus Group^® (WCG™), the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services and software to support clinical research, and the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC), the nation's leading multicenter clinical research organization specializing in cutting-edge prostate cancer research, today announced their new partnership to enhance the quality and efficiency of the Consortium's research review process.

PCCTC joins the nation's most prominent cancer research institutions in relying on WCG for the review of its cancer research protocols and related study documents. WCG Oncology™, WCG's cancer-focused division, is comprised of experts who specialize in oncological sub-specialties and advise WCG's three cancer-focused institutional review board (IRB) panels on the science behind cutting-edge therapies. With a deep understanding of the underlying science and clinical aspects of associated therapies, WCG Oncology's IRB panels provide a highly informed, thorough review of new approaches and proposed research in oncology.

"We are delighted to provide PCCTC with the confidence that its research will be reviewed with the appropriate expertise and therapeutic focus, and in a timely and efficient manner. The Consortium is doing sterling work in exploring cutting-edge science, and we are proud to facilitate the conduct of its important clinical research," commented WCG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D.

PCCTC is a clinical research organization comprised of leading physicians specializing in prostate cancer research at 15 academic institutions across the U.S. Its goal is to streamline and accelerate the activation, accrual and completion of multicenter clinical trials researching prostate cancer while ensuring a consistent, compliant process that protects the wellbeing of its research volunteers. It is an independent subsidiary of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the world's oldest and largest private cancer center and one of 69 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, with state-of-the-art science flourishing side by side with clinical studies and treatment.

The partnership with WCG represents a significant change for PCCTC, which previously relied on its members' local IRBs. That approach had resulted in several IRBs being required to approve the protocol, participant consent and other documents for a single study, leading to inconsistencies and unnecessary delays.  

"The PCCTC is excited to collaborate with WCG to provide a more efficient and more thorough model for reviewing prostate cancer research," said PCCTC CEO Jake Vinson. "We have conducted our first clinical study using WCG, and have already gained efficiencies by reducing administrative delays and eliminating the redundancy of multiple, uncoordinated reviews."

About The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC)

In 2005, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Department of Defense (DOD) Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) initiated the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) in response to gaps identified in prostate cancer clinical research by physician investigators and prostate cancer advocates. By establishing transparent project co-development between investigators, research sites and industry partners, the PCCTC has created a new paradigm for evaluating prostate cancer therapies. Uniform trial endpoints, the use of validated biomarkers, and the adaptation of the clinical states model of prostate cancer have further enabled accelerated drug development within the consortium. The PCCTC is now a major multi-institutional clinical research organization consisting of a nationwide network of physicians at 15 academic institutions specializing in cutting-edge prostate cancer research. For more information, please visit www.pcctc.org.

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 Protections (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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