WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP) and WCG announced a joint program today that will increase the availability of educational resources and training to support Alzheimer’s disease research. This will provide clinical research sites that serve traditionally underrepresented communities with the resources to ensure qualified individuals are equipped to administer clinical trial cognitive assessments.
The program includes virtual training, access to assessments, audio recording capabilities for raters to record their practice administrations, and training for GAP team members who will provide feedback to raters on their administration and scoring.
The new program will bring WCG’s high-quality training resources to select GAP-Net research sites that are dedicated to increasing access to clinical trials for diverse participants. El Faro Health & Therapeutics, in Rio Grande City, TX is the first site to participate. Future sites are being considered.
“Having reliable access to a workforce of highly trained raters is critical to the success of Alzheimer's clinical trials,” said GAP President John Dwyer. “Our collaboration with WCG demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring that sites have the resources they need to maintain data consistency and reliability in pivotal trials,” he added.
“We are thrilled to leverage WCG’s Clinical Endpoint Solutions to support GAP’s commitment to provide access to the resources, training and support sites need to ensure the ongoing success of the critical role they play in Alzheimer’s clinical studies,” said Terri Moench, president of Patient Engagement at WCG. “It is our goal to strengthen access among the underserved populations who are critical to advancing the development of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.”
“We have mission-oriented staff who want to be able to support our clinical trial work, but until now they have not had the training and access to assessments to get the experience necessary to be considered by trial sponsors,” said Dr. James Falcon of El Faro Health & Therapeutics. “Having access to WCG’s rater trainings and the ability to administer assessments and gather feedback improves what we can do and how we can do it. And that’s no small thing.”
“There are many aspects to Alzheimer’s clinical research where a lack of resources and enrollment challenges are persistent obstacles to conducting high-quality clinical trials quickly,” said Dwyer. “Supporting our GAP-Net sites is a priority for us every day, which makes this new program with WCG a big win. We couldn’t be more pleased to offer it to them.”
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For immediate release: Contact: media@globalalzplatform.org
About GAP Foundation
The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP) is a global patient-centered nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the delivery of innovative therapies for neurological disorders by reducing the duration and cost of clinical trials. Over 100 research centers around the world are part of the growing GAP Network (GAP-Net).
About WCG
WCG is the world’s leading provider of solutions that measurably improve the quality and efficiency of clinical research. Comprised of two divisions, the industry’s first central IRB – WCG IRB – and first clinical services organization, WCG enables biopharmaceutical companies, CROs, and institutions to advance the delivery of new treatments and therapies to patients, while maintaining the highest standards of human participant protection. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com, www.wcgclinical.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical or LinkedIn.
WCG contact:
Carmin Gade, PhD
Chief Marketing Officer
484.351.9959
cgade@wcgclinical.com
