NCI to Overhaul Clinical Trials System

The NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI) is moving forward with a series of proposals that will result in a major overhaul of its clinical trials system over the next five years.

The new blueprint of the NCI's clinical trials strategy was submitted to its advisory board by the Clinical Trials Working Group (CTWG), which was established by NCI Director Andrew von Eschenbach in January 2004 and charged with developing a master restructuring plan.

The CTWG, which includes members from industry, professional associations and research institutions, presented its recommendations in a 77-page report, "Restructuring the National Cancer Clinical Trials Enterprise."

The restructuring would integrate "the best of all components of NCI's clinical trials system into a cross-disciplinary, coordinated research endeavor," said James Doroshow, director of the NCI's Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis.

The restructuring effort is projected to cost $113 million over five years, according to the NIH. Such commitment and investment "is crucial for ensuring that the large, ongoing national investment in cancer clinical trials achieves the goal of bringing effective new therapies to patients," CTWG said in its report.

To view the full CTWG report, visit ()a href="http://integratedtrials.nci.nih.gov" target="_blank">http://integratedtrials.nci.nih.gov