ACRES Opens New Branch in Japan

The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) has opened its first national affiliate, ACRES Japan, in Tokyo. Fumimaro Takaku, M.D., president of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences, will act as president of the board of directors, and ACRES Japan will provide a model for the organization’s planned network of national affiliates.
ACRES Japan aims to develop high-quality clinical research both within Japan and worldwide by promoting education and training of investigators and study team members, supporting site accreditation, and developing an IT platform for effective information sharing.
"Clinical research must be conducted with high transparency; education and training of physician investigators for clinical research must be rigorous; a code of conduct for physicians collaborating with pharmaceutical companies for clinical search must be assured--addressing these concerns will lead to highest quality and efficiency of clinical research in Japan,” noted Takaku. “Through ACRES Japan, we are committed to finding effective solutions to these challenges.”
The executive officers are Kyoko Imamura, Ichiro Uchida, Kishio Ono, and Yasushi Suzuki. Planned activities range from advocating collaboration among like-minded organizations and individuals across Japan to participating in working groups of ACRES global initiatives and developing clinical research infrastructure in Japan. It will also create mechanisms to facilitate communication and collaboration between ACRES and local academic institutions, regulatory agencies, health systems, professional associations and patient organizations and to identify opportunities to further leverage ACRES-related Initiatives in Japan. 
According to ACRES President Greg Koski, “This is a remarkable accomplishment by any measure. Organizations across the Japanese clinical research endeavor have shown extraordinary leadership, uniting to build a collaborative framework and expectation for excellence, one that will set very high standards and clear pathways for other nations seeking to achieve these goals. We look forward to our work together, not only with Japan, but with other countries worldwide.” 
For the full press release, click here.