Six regional health systems announced the launch of a nonprofit clinical research consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research, or PIER – to streamline access to clinical trials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The founding members of the PIER Consortium are Atlantic Health System, Geisinger including AtlantiCare, Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University, Einstein Healthcare Network and Main Line Health. The goal is to bring clinical trial sites to larger numbers of patients, while also bringing new treatments to market faster.
“Through the consortium, we are now able to move beyond geographic boundaries, expanding access to our own groundbreaking research while connecting our patients to exciting advancements from our PIER partners," said Brian Gragnolati, CEO of Atlantic Health System.
PIER members hope to speed up the clinical trial process and deliver effective therapies to patients sooner.
“It can take decades to prove a drug is safe and effective for a particular disease, which can be too late for many patients seeking treatment,” said David Whellan, MD, senior associate provost for clinical research at Jefferson and chief operating officer of PIER.