The initiative's partners include Grand Valley Internal Medicine Specialists, Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Jasper Clinic, Saint Mary's Health Care, Spectrum Health, and Van Andel Research Institute (VARI). ClinXus will leverage the existing expertise and services of each institution to provide a single point of contact for clinical research clients and patients and physicians that participate in clinical studies. Clinical studies are expected to involve new medicines, devices and diagnostics in all stages of testing. Initially, ClinXus will focus on the following areas of disease: oncology, cardiovascular, inflammatory, neurological, metabolic, endocrine and ophthalmology.
"Our primary goal is to improve health care by improving the clinical research decision-making process. By offering easier access to cutting-edge health care and technology, we will enhance patient care as well as establish West Michigan as a national destination for innovative clinical research," said Jasper Clinic President Dean Knuth.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued new guidelines for clinical research that call for novel approaches to drug development to achieve more individualized medicine. Together, the partner organizations have the technology, experience, and expertise to meet FDA guidelines and provide innovative clinical services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
"The FDA's new guidelines are rapidly changing the process of conducting clinical trials. More than ever, collaborative scientific, regulatory and clinical expertise requires close coordination at the earliest stages using supportive systems and infrastructure to reach the critical test of safety and efficacy in patients," said VARI Principal Investigator Craig Webb, Ph.D., who also serves as vice president of the ClinXus Board of Directors. "Our organizational model will further develop this strategy and allow our community to expand its clinical research efforts to be on par with leading national organizations."
According to ClinXus members, the organization is expected to have a substantial economic impact on the state of Michigan, and in particular West Michigan. The partnership will create new jobs and attract highly trained researchers and clinicians. It will also draw new life science companies to the area. In the future, ClinXus expects to expand its membership to include other West Michigan health care and technology organizations.
"Collaboration is the best way to provide value-added service while simultaneously improving our research capabilities and adding important jobs to the regional life science economy," said Matt Dugener, executive director of the West Michigan Science & Technology Initiative at GVSU and ClinXus board president. "The existence of ClinXus also provides a critical resource that will foster the development on new regional life science companies."
