(PUYALLUP, WA – Mar. 22, 2021)
Today, WCG IRB announced the launch of a new webinar series developed specifically to meet the evolving needs of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs). Dawn Flitcraft, President of WCG IRB, will host the monthly series, which will focus on addressing current research issues and industry challenges. Each webinar will be co-presented by an expert from WCG and one of its client companies.
“WCG developed a webinar series as one of its early responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, viewing it as an efficient mechanism for sharing new knowledge, science and experience with our colleagues in the industry. That series, which began on March 9, 2020, now features more than 35 webinars, and has attracted more than 70,000 attendees. Clearly, we created a valuable resource in those communications, and we are dedicated to continuing that conversation – now with a sub-series dedicated to IRB- and IBC-related topics,” said Ms. Flitcraft.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic transitions out of ‘crisis’ mode, WCG IRB continues to partner with our sponsor, clinical research organization (CRO), institution and site clients to help them face their challenges running clinical studies during this time of change and transformation. With our experience in reviewing over 530 COVID-19 protocols in 2020 alone, we consider it our duty and privilege to share the latest regulatory guidance, set the pace for new best practices, and support the industry at every point in the journey. We are confident that this focused webinar series – as just one outlet of our IRB and IBC thought leadership – will help the market navigate this unsettling time,” Flitcraft continued.
The first WCG IRB webinar, which will discuss “IRB and IBC Required Approvals in Gene Therapy: Addressing Challenges in a Growing Market,” will be held from 2-3 pm ET on Tuesday, March 23. It will be co-presented by Riki Cullingford, Clinical Project Manager at REGENXBIO Inc. and Daniel Kavanagh, PhD, Senior Scientific Advisor, Gene Therapy at WCG IRB. REGENXBIO is a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company seeking to improve lives through the curative potential of gene therapy.
Recent gene therapy regulatory approvals have caught attention and dramatically increased biopharmaceutical developers’ interest in the field. As a result, the gene therapy industry is expected to grow 30% year over year in research and development spending in multiple therapeutic areas.
Therefore, it is increasingly likely that sponsors, CROs and institutions will begin to participate in gene therapy trials and their IRBs will be asked to review those protocols. This webinar will cover the relevant regulatory guidelines and offer practical strategies for ensuring adherence. Dr. Kavanagh will explain when an IBC review in needed, what that entails, and how to coordinate the IBC and IRB review of the protocol to ensure an efficient trial startup. Ms. Cullingford will provide a sponsor’s perspective on how to optimally engage all the stakeholders involved in gene therapy research to ensure best practices and efficient communication occur throughout the trial.
Interested parties can register for this complimentary webinar at https://www.wcgirb.com/insights/irb-and-ibc-required-approvals-in-gene-therapy.
On-demand recordings and future webinars will be posted in the “News and Events” section of the WCG IRB website at https://www.wcgirb.com/insights/archive/category/news-events.
About WCG IRB
WCG IRB provides the highest quality ethical reviews of clinical research protocols and studies. WCG IRB was created by combining five IRBs with different areas of expertise and geographical reach – Western IRB (WIRB), the world’s first independent ethical review board, Copernicus Group IRB, New England IRB, Aspire IRB, and Midlands IRB. WCG IRB has more than 50 years’ experience and more than 200 members on AAHRPP-accredited boards. Since 2000, WCG IRB has also provided IBC administration and review services to nearly 800 institutions and evaluated more than 400 human gene transfer protocols. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical or LinkedIn.
