Sponsor
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA037441, UG1 DA015815, UG1 DA040314, UG3 DA044831, and HHSN271201500065C).
Published In
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2019
Subjects
Clinical trial regulations, Drug addiction -- Treatment
Abstract
Recent NIH policy stipulates that multi-site studies must use a single or IRB (Institutional Review Board) in order to streamline the review process while maintaining standards for human subjects protection. The Western States Node of the Clinical Trials Network (CTN) used a single IRB for protocol CTN-0067, a clinical trial testing the use of an opioid antagonist (extended-release naltrexone) versus opioid agonists (buprenorphine or methadone) for opioid use disorders among individuals living with HIV. This case study discusses the processes and challenges associated with use of a single IRB. These lessons are also informed by other single IRB experiences within the CTN. The intention of the NIH single IRB policy is to facilitate efficient IRB processes. Advanced planning and transparent communication, however, are critical to avoid stalling IRB approval and protocol implementation. Research teams need to account for local IRB willingness to cede to a single IRB and understand the variations in interpretations of abbreviated reviews. In order to facilitate the effective use of single IRBs, recommendations include assigning staff at each study site for IRB submission coordination and interaction with the lead site IRB staff, training investigators and key regulatory staff on expectations for working with single IRBs, dedicating a regulatory specialist at the lead site to manage the process, developing a communication plan, and supporting the development of strong working relationships with local regulatory staff and the single IRB. The CTN experiences with single IRBs may provide insights for other investigators.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100319
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/29330
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation Details
Nichols, C., Kunkel, L. E., Baker, R., Jelstrom, E., Addis, M., Hoffman, K. A., ... & Korthuis, P. T. (2019). Use of single IRBs for multi-site studies: A case report and commentary from a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network study. Contemporary clinical trials communications, 14, 100319.
Description
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/).