UVA Health today announced the launch of its Clinical Trials Network to improve access to clinical trials across Virginia. In Northern Virginia and surrounding regions, two UVA Health clinical trials are now available, one evaluating a decision-making aid for breast cancer patients, and the other for a potential treatment for kidney stones. This is the first time UVA Health has offered clinical trials at its medical centers and clinics in the Culpeper and Greater Prince William area.
Building a statewide Clinical Trials Network is one of the goals outlined in UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan, said Jason Lineen, MBA, UVA Health’s chief strategy officer. “We want to make it easier for residents across Virginia to more easily access clinical trials,” he said. “Opening these clinical trials in the Culpeper and Prince William areas is an important step in that direction, and we look forward to opening more trials across the Commonwealth in the months to come.”
“Clinical trials are incredibly important in the quest for new cures and treatments,” said Mitchell Rosner, MD, chief executive officer of UVA Health and executive vice president for health affairs at University of Virginia. “UVA Health continues to prioritize grant-funded and industry-sponsored research to ensure Virginia maintains a vibrant and growing ecosystem of clinical research, cutting-edge clinical care and medical education in more communities throughout the Commonwealth.”
These studies reflect UVA Health’s continued investment in bringing the prowess of academic medicine into the community clinic setting, said Mehzabin Khan, MD, director of UVA Health’s affiliate research program. “By embedding research into community-based settings, UVA Health is breaking down geographic and structural barriers that often prevent participation in clinical trials,” Khan said. “This expansion reflects UVA Health’s long-term vision to deliver world-class care informed by research, regardless of location.”
A breast cancer clinical trial is now available at the UVA Health Cancer Care clinic located at Culpeper Medical Center as well as the UVA Health Breast Care Center Haymarket. A kidney stone device trial is now available at UVA Health Urology, part of Culpeper Medical Center.
About the trials:
POWER II Breast Cancer Trial (open at UVA Health Cancer Care, part of Culpeper Medical Center and UVA Health Breast Care Center Haymarket)
The POWER II (Pre-Operative Window of Endocrine Therapy to Inform Radiation Therapy Decisions) trial is designed for women ages 65 and older with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. For women with this breast cancer, standard treatment is surgery plus either radiation or hormone therapy; however, it can be difficult for patients to choose between radiation and hormone therapy when they do not know how they will tolerate the treatment options. This trial is evaluating whether a short course of endocrine therapy before surgery facilitates that individualized decision about the need for post-operative radiation therapy, thus reducing over- or under-treatment.
The study is being led by UVA Health’s Shayna L. Showalter, MD, a breast surgical oncologist, and Ali Mahjoub, MD, a hematologist and medical oncologist.
The trial is funded by UVA Health. For more information about the trial, contact Megan Miller at AEY8FC@uvahealth.org or 434.243.8101, or speak directly to your cancer care provider.
ELS Kidney Stone Device Trial (open at UVA Health Urology, part of Culpeper Medical Center)
The Enhanced Lithotripsy System (ELS) trial is evaluating a non-invasive device that uses electromagnetic waves and microbubbles to fragment kidney stones. The trial is examining whether this approach may offer a less-invasive alternative to surgery that could improve recovery times and reduce complications.
The study is being led by two UVA Health urologists and urologic researchers, Wesley Pate, MD, and Gregg R. Eure, MD, FACS.
The trial is funded by Avvio Medical. Individuals can self-refer for this trial. For more information about the trial, contact Alexandra Stauffer at AMS7NN@uvahealth.org or 434.924.6869.
UVA Health's statewide Clinical Trials Network will work in conjunction with UVA's new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology to speed the development of new treatments and cures for some of the most complex and difficult-to-treat diseases. The institute will be housed in a four-story, 350,000-square-foot facility under construction in UVA's Fontaine Research Park in Charlottesville. The institute is expected to bring hundreds and potentially thousands of jobs to Virginia as part of a new "ecosystem of innovation" that will have far-reaching benefits for the Commonwealth and beyond.
For more information about UVA Health clinical trials, visit uvahealth.com/clinicaltrials.
