WIRB-Copernicus Group to Host Webinar on the Challenges of Providing Early Access to Investigational Drugs

PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG), the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services and software to support clinical research, announced that it will be hosting a webinar entitled, "Early Access to Investigational Drugs: Lessons from Ebola," at 3:00 p.m. EDT today.

Speakers include industry leaders Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D., head of the Division of Bioethics and Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty professor at New York University Langone Medical Center, and M. Michelle Berrey, M.D., M.P.H., president and chief executive officer of Chimerix, Inc., a North Carolina-based biopharmaceutical company developing novel, oral antivirals in areas of high unmet medical need.   

During this webinar, moderated by Lindsay McNair, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.B., WCG's chief medical officer, and president of consulting services, speakers will review the regulatory framework that governs the use of investigational drugs outside clinical trials (formerly called "compassionate use"), and will discuss the ethical challenges of responding to these complicated situations.

"The current Ebola outbreak underscores the urgency and importance of helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to speed potentially life-saving therapies to market, but to do so in a manner consistent with the highest standards of ethics and science," said WCG Chairman and CEO Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D.

This webinar will last approximately one hour and is complimentary for those who wish to attend.

To register for WCG webinar, please visit: https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1043224.

About the 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