Research Milestones & New Studies
From first patient enrollments to recruitment milestones and newly launched studies, our research teams continue to make remarkable progress across Carilion's clinical research portfolio. Here are a few highlights from this month's clinical trials.
Research and Development
MoDi Twin -This study uses a new type of ultrasound technology for evaluation of blood vessels and flow of blood within the placenta. This new imaging technology will be performed in monochorionic [MoDi or MonoMono] twins, who share a placenta and may receive uneven shares of the placental blood flow or shunting of blood from one twin to the other.
Department of Medicine -Clinical Research Unit
During July, we enrolled the first patient to alloNK (Rheumatology; PI, A Bankole; Research Team Lead, M Eubank). As Carilion’s first cell therapy trial, alloNK investigates whether NK cells prepared from healthy donors and used with the monoclonal antibody rituximab deeply decrease the abnormal B cells that cause rheumatoid arthritis.
Congratulations to the entire team of the PRISM study (Infectious Diseases; PI, E Bansal; Research Team Lead, E Shava). We recently completed both our blinded and unblinded interim monitoring visits with minimal to no findings. These achievements showcase the team’s excellent preparation and collaboration. One of our newer trials, PRISM tests the safety and efficacy of the investigational product AZD5148 for preventing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections in adults.
After celebrating the 200th enrollment to 20vPNC (Inpatient Research; PI, E Shava; Research Team Lead, J Mobley) in April, recruitment continues to be brisk, notably with 4 patients enrolled in a single day at Carilion Rockbridge, one of our satellite research sites. These achievements are particularly striking, given that initial feasibility assessments projected fewer than 100 participants enrolled. The 20vPNC trial evaluates how well this 20-valent vaccine protects elderly adults against community-acquired pneumonia due to 7 newly included isolates of Streptococcus pneumonia.
After experiencing a lull in enrollment to CONFORM (Cardiology; PI, J Foerst; Research Team Lead, Jenny Johnson) has regained momentum with alacrity. As for other structural heart trials, CONFORM’s extensive participant criteria and narrow eligible population present a particular recruitment challenge for its research teams. However, shout out to the research team, who enrolled not just 1 but 3 participants in a single day during July. The CONFORM study assesses whether a new left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) device works as well as other commercially available LAAO devices in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.