2004-11-25
The NVRU selects MACRO for key global study
InferMed today announced that the Neurovascular Research Unit (NVRU), currently based in the Department of Radiology at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, has chosen MACRO, InferMed’s electronic data collection (EDC) system, for running a forthcoming global study on patients with cerebral aneurysm.
MACRO will be used at the NVRU for the Cerecyte Study. This is a web-based randomised study evaluating the effectiveness of two types of endovascular coil used for the treatment of patients with cerebral aneurysms (weaknesses in the blood vessels of the brain). The study is to be coordinated by the NVRU and will have participating centres in both Europe and the USA.
Julia Yarnold, Clinical Trial Manager at the NVRU, commented, “MACRO was initially chosen for this project upon recommendation from a current MACRO user. After a meeting with InferMed staff and a demonstration of the MACRO system, we were clear that it was going to be the most suitable for the purposes of this study.”
Mark Snell, InferMed’s Marketing Manager added, “MACRO’s intuitive and easy-to-use interactive tools for study definition will support the NVRU in their first experience of electronic data collection (EDC) for their clinical trials. MACRO’s on-line data entry and remote study monitoring capabilities will also enhance the unit’s clinical trial activity and we look forward to working with the NVRU to bring them the benefits of EDC at the earliest opportunity.”
About the NVRU
The NVRU’s main area of research is concerned with subarachnoid haemorrhage and its treatment. The NVRU incorporates the running of the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT), a multi centre prospective randomised trial in 43 neurosurgical centres in Europe, North America and Australia which randomised 2143 patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms to either neurosurgical or endovascular treatment. ISAT, funded by the Medical Research Council, is continuing long-term follow-up of its patients until the end of 2007.
The second major project is the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (ISUIA). This is a long-term observational study of patients with unruptured aneurysms. The NVRU is the regional coordinating centre for the European section of this study which is coordinated by the Mayo Clinic in the USA.
Other projects include the Detection of Vasospasm Effectors (DOVE) study, a transcranial Doppler study, an audit of subarachnoid aneurysm treatment coordinated by the Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS) and various other trials and studies of interventional devices.
Mr Richard Kerr, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr Andrew Molyneux, Consultant Neuroradiologist, Julia Yarnold, Clinical Trial Manager, Mary Sneade, Assistant Trial Manager and Joan Rischmiller, Research Nurse currently staff the unit.
