New centers added to network to expand reach of asthma, COPD clinical trials to improve quality of life for patients

The American Lung Association Airways Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) network conducts nationwide clinical trials to provide vital information about caring for people who have asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To better inform patient care, the Lung Association announced June 8, 2016 that the ACRC network is adding new research centers to expand the network’s expertise and reach across the nation.

The University of Vermont’s Vermont Lung Center has been part of this network since 1999, and recently received renewal of its ACRC funding. VLC Director Charles Irvin, Ph.D., professor of medicine, is principle investigator and Anne Dixon, M.A., B.M., B.Ch., professor and director, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and David Kaminsky, M.D., professor of medicine, are co-investigators.

“Breathing is essential to life, and it’s vital for those suffering from lung disease to have access to the best treatment options available, and we get there through research,” said Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “The Airways Clinical Research Centers network attracts some of the best investigators nationwide, and by adding significantly to the expertise of the ACRC network, we will advance research to improve the quality of life for those living with both COPD and asthma.”

The ACRC network is a key component of the American Lung Association Research Team and is the nation’s largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma and COPD treatment research. Consisting of 17 clinical research centers across the country, and a data-coordinating center managed by a team at Johns Hopkins University, the ACRC network conducts large clinical trials that directly impact patient care for those living with COPD and asthma. The new research centers added to the network include:

• University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
• University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
• Temple University Health System, Lung Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
• University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Through the ACRC network, clinical trials around the country are currently in progress and at various stages of completion. The outcomes of these studies will help shape the nature of care for people with asthma and COPD.

According to Wimmer, new areas that did not previously have a research center will now be represented, such as the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. In addition, many of the current centers in the network have extended their relationships with other hospitals academic and research institutions, further expanding the reach and impact of the network. Continuing and expanded research centers in the ACRC network include:

• Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
• University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
• University of California, San Diego, San Diego, Calif.
• National Jewish Health (Denver, Colo.) and Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine (New York, N.Y.)
• The Nemours Children’s Health System, Jacksonville and Orlando Fla.
• The Illinois Consortium: Northwestern University, Rush University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
• New York Consortium: Columbia University, New York University Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, N.Y.
• Washington University at St. Louis, St. Louis, Mo.
• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
• St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.
• University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
• University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, Vermont Lung Center, Colchester, Vt.

The ACRC network, formerly known as the Asthma Clinical Research Centers, was originally focused on asthma. In 2015, the network expanded its research scope to include COPD, the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is part of the larger American Lung Association Research Team, conducting research on lung disease nationwide.

“Since its inception in 1999, the ACRC has made many important contributions to the lives with people with asthma, making a positive impact on their lives each and every day,” Wimmer said. “Through adding COPD as a focus as well as expanding the network to include additional research centers and respected Principal Investigators, we will have a greater impact on the lives of patients nationwide.”

About the American Lung Association

The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education and advocacy. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to improve the air we breathe; to reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families; and to eliminate tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org.

(This article was produced by Allison MacMunn of the American Lung Association.)