E-Newsletter - November 2015
Introducing Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT)
Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT) is a research organization that develops and conducts cancer clinical trials, working closely with pharmaceutical partners, research collaborators and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology scientific investigators and institutional member network. AFT seeks to fulfill the vision of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology to reduce the impact of cancer on people by uniting a broad community of scientists and clinicians from many disciplines committed to discovering, validating and disseminating effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Established in 2014 as a limited liability corporation, AFT is managed by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation, which is its sole member. The AFT operational structure and funding sources are separate from the Alliance clinical trials program funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
COLLABORATION WITH AFT
AFT offers clinical trial investigators, pharmaceutical partners and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology institutional member network collaborative opportunities to develop and conduct trials, in addition to NCI-funded initiatives. This expands access and trial design options. AFT studies are developed by the Alliance scientific committees and are integrated into scientific goals of the committees.
Sites eligible to participate in AFT trials are members of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology network in good standing. AFT determines site-protocol matches based on previous site performance, accrual reports and results from its feasibility process. AFT invites sites that meet these criteria to participate in trials.
PARTNERSHIP LEVELS
FULL OPERATIONS |
LIMITED OPERATIONS |
AFT sponsor |
Pharmaceutical collaborator sponsor |
AFT holds IND |
Pharmaceutical collaborator holds IND (regulatory) |
AFT responsible for entire conduct of the study |
Pharmaceutical collaborator responsible |
Site contracts are with AFT |
Site contracting responsibilities determined per |
Pharmaceutical collaborator shares in study development; provides funding, drug supply and distribution and data submission for regulatory approval (registration trials) |
AFT responsible for AFT site selection and site performance monitoring, assists with patient recruitment efforts at minimum; other functions are per agreement with collaborators |
Site Identification
CRITERIA |
Overall good standing as Alliance member |
AFT reviews previous site performance and accrual reports to determine site selection in general |
AFT conducts feasibility process to assess site’s capability to conduct trial based on specific protocol requirements |
AFT invites site to participate |
Difference Between AFT and Alliance Trials
AFT |
ALLIANCE |
Study Selection and Development |
|
Study design by Alliance scientific and modality committees |
Study design by Alliance scientific and modality committees |
Studies available by invitation |
Studies available through CTSU menu |
Studies open to invited sites |
Studies open to Alliance and NCTN members |
Site Selection |
|
Studies limited to selected sites with network |
Generally, studies open to all components of network |
# of sites limited based on study and funding |
|
# of sites within member network may be limited; entire network, including affiliates may not be invited |
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Operations Systems and Partners |
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Separate Interactive Response Technology (IRT for patient registration), Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS), AFT Medidata RAVE electronic data capture, Argus Safety System (expedited adverse event reporting), electronic Trial Master File (eTMF), AFT Biospecimen Management System |
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Central Institutional Board Review (CIRB) (Quorum or other CIRB) |
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Mayo Clinic Statistics and Data Center |
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Biorepository at Washington University TBD |
|
Contracts and Funding |
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Master Services Agreement or Clinical Trial Agreement |
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Negotiated budget (study, patient case reimbursement, administrative site costs) |
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Per case payment for patients and accrual and pass through costs |
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Alliance Membership Accrual |
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One patient intervention accrual credit toward Alliance membership recorded after network has met 15 patient treatment/intervention accruals per year (cannot use AFT accruals to make up Alliance deficiency – e.g., 15 Alliance accruals + 10 AFT accruals = 25 Alliance membership accruals; however, 10 Alliance accruals + 10 AFT accruals = 10 Alliance membership accruals) |
|
AFT TEAM
Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Gini F. Fleming, MD
Chief Scientific Officer
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Suzanne George, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Olwen M. Hahn, MD
University of Chicago
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Elise Horvath, MD
Alliance for Clinical Trials
in Oncology Foundation
David Kozono, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Otto Metzger, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Scott E. Smith, MD, PhD
Loyola University Medical Center
STAFF
Trini Ajazi, MM
Chief Administrator Officer
Drew Gollerkeri, MBA
Controller
Sylvia Hrbek
Accounting Manager
Purcella Jennings
Accounting Manager
Jennifer Gaskin, CCRP
Operations Director
Michelle Pucillo, MPH
Operations Director
Erin M. Mueller, MA
Director, Contracts and Agreements
Carter DuFrane
Senior Project Manager
Aimee Farrell
Senior Project Manager
Emma McCarthy
Project Manager
Alicia Quirke
Site Manager
Laura Hatcher
Senior Clinical Research Associate
Hillary Wilson
Clinical Research Associate
Mary MacDonald
Project Coordinator - Quality Assurance
To learn more about AFT, visit www.AllianceFoundationTrials.org.
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For other articles in the November issue of the Alliance E-News newsletter, see below.
- Alliance Convenes 2015 Fall Group Meeting November 5-8
- Alliance Researchers Explore Use of Aspirin to Treat Breast Cancer
- Deadlines for Upcomnig Alliance Abstracts
- Three Investigators Receive Funding Awards from Alliance Cancer Control Program
- New Study Chair Appointments | Alliance A071101
- On the Move: Alliance Members + Welcome New Staff