Partners Teams with New National Research Alliance- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
Partners Teams with New National Research Alliance- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
Skip to contents
August 7, 2000
Browse the archive
Current issue
In This Issue:
Partners Teams with New National Research Alliance
MBTA Construction Alert
New DFCI President Named
Hospital Media Policy Reminder
BWH Welcomes Nancy Kruger
Save the Date September 16
Ask Yourself: What is BWH's No Smoking Policy?
Starfish Award Recipients
Pike Notes
Partners HealthCare System and four other acclaimed medical institutions are forming a new research alliance that will allow joint clinical research to be conducted with more efficiency and less redundancy across the United States, while still preserving all important protections for their patients. BWH and MGH (under Partners), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University and Baylor College of Medicine have announced their formation of the Multicenter Academic Clinical Research Organization (MACRO). As part of MACRO, one of the five institutions will be designated as the lead review group for a particular proposal. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at each participating site will receive comprehensive review documents and will complete abbreviated reviews. However, only the lead review institution’s IRB will conduct a full and comprehensive review of all issues in the trial. All comments and minutes from the lead institution’s review will then be distributed to all other MACRO centers, so they can examine the work and communicate any new concerns. MACRO will not involve itself at first in trials related to genetics, cancer and AIDS because such trials require additional review procedures. Research proposals that need only IRB approval, such as medication-approval research, will be MACRO’s main focus. The standard procedure for conducting joint clinical research trials—particularly to approve new medications—usually involves small-scale research, not always at large teaching hospitals. However, through the National Institute of Health-approved MACRO system, research trials that require only IRB approvals will now be conducted at some of the country’s most scientifically-advanced academic medical centers at a much faster pace, while still emphasizing top priorities, including patient safety.