Summary
In the field of dermatology, CHDR has developed a unique approach to early-stage drug development by combining outpatient trials with innovative new measuring techniques. Although patients come to our facilities for selection and follow-up visits, the trial itself takes place off-site, with the patients at home, going about their daily activities.
Because the skin is the largest and most easily accessible organ, our dermatology research also facilitates drug development in other areas, including immunology and endocrinology. In addition, we are engaged in studying ways to improve wound healing.
Application of inflammatory challenges for dermatology
We have successfully validated and applied inflammatory challenges in clinical experiments, and the implementation of these challenges in CHDR’s clinical studies has resulted in successful and effective early development of multiple investigational products. CHDR offers reliable and accurate methodology to induce inflammatory responses in whole blood or isolated immune cells, allowing evaluation of the immune-modulating effects of new drugs in the earliest phase. We can offer both in vitro and ex vivo inflammatory challenges.
Clinical Network for Trials in Dermatology
Clinical trials are regularly performed at CHDR in close collaboration with the Clinical Network for Trials in Dermatology (CONNECTED), a dynamic network of dermatologists united by a strong interest in science and education. This growing network already counts than 170 dermatologists from academic hospitals and peripheral clinics.
CHDR's involvement with the Clinical Network for Trials in Dermatology not only gives us access to key opinion leaders in the field of dermatology, but also facilitates rapid recruitment of patients via referring dermatologists.
Hospitals involved in the network include:
- Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
- Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam
- Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam
- Teaching hospitals
Recruitment for dermatology trials
To ensure efficient recruitment, a tailored recruitment strategy is developed as part of the preparation of every clinical trial. Demonstrating the efficacy of our approach, in a recent trial involving patients with moderate to severe psoriasis (PASI>=12) we were able to enrol the 34 patients required for the study in just four months.
Besides our in-house database of over 50,000 volunteers, recruitment at CHDR focuses on three key channels:
- Nationwide advertisements (online and print media, including patient association journals)
- Partner CROs and other external recruitment agencies
- Referring dermatologists in the Clinical Network for Trials in Dermatology
