ACRP and ACRES Create Strategic Alliance to Improve Conduct of Clinical Research

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and the Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) have joined forces to address critical challenges facing the clinical research enterprise globally and to improve medical product development and delivery worldwide.

This strategic alliance creates a practical mechanism for collaboration among ACRP's clinical research professionals and ACRES' global stakeholders in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device fields.

Under the terms of their alliance agreement, the two non-profit organizations will focus on 3 issues: the education, training and credentialing of clinical research professionals globally, an expertise of ACRP; the registration and accreditation of ACRP-affiliated sites as members of the ACRES Global Network; and tools and services to enhance safety, quality, compliance, productivity and sustainability of research sites worldwide. All projects will involve the multiple stakeholders engaged in the clinical research enterprise.

In announcing ACRP'S strategic alliance with ACRES, Gary Shangold, MD, CPI®, Chair of ACRP's Association Board of Trustees, noted that "it is difficult to imagine a more natural partnership than one between ACRP and ACRES—we share a common vision based upon a shared belief that clinical research should be done right, by professionals, wherever in the world it is done. ACRP's mission is to provide global leadership to promote integrity and excellence for the clinical research profession. ACRP believes that the ACRES Global Network will provide an opportunity for such professional sites to distinguish themselves through their commitment to quality and safety of research participants."

ACRES President and Chief Executive Officer, Greg Koski, MD, PhD, a former member of the ACRP Board agreed, emphasizing the value of a global systems approach for enhancing safety, quality and efficiency of the clinical research process. "Clinical research is the essential pathway for getting safe and effective medical products to the people of the world, to improve health, productivity and quality of life. A world-wide system for clinical research will enhance safety and drive quality, standardization, inter-operability, efficiency and excellence across the entire clinical research endeavor for the benefit of all stakeholders. Our goal is to work collaboratively with the multi-stakeholder community to build a network-system that recognizes and rewards excellence in the research process while enabling the timely development of medical products. ACRP will be a superb ally in this effort."

For more than 30 years, ACRP, a non-profit professional association, has been dedicated to promoting excellence in clinical research through the development of competency based professional development, training and certification of clinical research professionals. Today, ACRP offers the only National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited professional Certification Program for members of the clinical research team, including clinical research monitors (CRAs), clinical research coordinators (CRCs) and investigators (PIs). ACRP's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct sets a standard to which clinical research professionals aspire.

ACRES is a non-profit organization operating collaboratively in the public interest to build a global system for clinical research. At the heart of this system will be a network of accredited clinical research sites with professionally certified research teams.