The National Institutes of Health is launching a network of regional stroke centers with the aim of quickly advancing research from early testing to late-stage clinical trials.
The new national network, which will be funded and managed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), includes 25 regional stroke centers and nearby satellite facilities. Each of the centers will receive $250,000 annually for 3 years to cover research costs and training. NINDS will award additional funding as the centers complete milestones set by the agency.
"The new system is intended to streamline stroke research, by centralizing approval and review, lessening time and costs of clinical trials, and assembling a comprehensive data sharing system," Dr. Petra Kaufman, associate director for clinical research at NINDS, said in a statement.
The effort will be coordinated by the University of Cincinnati, which will oversee the institutional review board and all master trial agreements.
The goal is to initiate up to five phase I and II clinical trials and up to four phase III trials over the next 5 years, according to NINDS.