Swiss Look to Expand Pediatric Trials

The Swiss Research Network of Clinical Pediatric Hubs (SwissPedNet) is seeking to promote clinical research in pediatrics in Switzerland.

Along with the Swiss Association of Paediatrics, SSP/SGP, SwissPedNet has issued a request for study proposals in pediatric health services research, and has set aside 120,000 Swiss Francs (around $121,000) to fund the initiative. Clinical research includes all investigations relating to patients seen either in private practices or clinics or both.

Switzerland’s five university children’s hospitals (Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich), as well as the three children’s hospitals of Aarau, Lucerne, and St. Gallen, set up SwissPedNet in 2012. Its task is to promote, facilitate, coordinate, and conduct clinical trials devoted to children, ranging from newborns to adolescents, in all pediatric disciplines. The ultimate goal is to enhance clinical research in paediatrics, both by supporting pediatric clinician scientists to foster their commitment to high-quality clinical research and by encouraging increased acceptance in the community of trials in children.

On November 20, 2015 the EOC Ticino’s department of pediatrics became the ninth clinical pediatric hub of SwissPedNet. In addition, the Swiss pediatric registry center at ISPM in Bern and SwissPedPha, the platform for pediatric pharmacology, are ordinary members of SwissPedNet.

SwissPedNet receives federal funding in the framework of the roadmap 2017-2020 (www.swisspednet.ch), and is closely linked to the Swiss Clinical Trial Organisation SCTO and its network of CTUs (www.scto.ch).

The submission deadline for new proposals is February 28, 2018. Click here for more details.