|
Press Release
New VA Directive Will Promote Combined Research With Private Sector to Help Veterans
February 6, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing a new directive to enhance collaboration between VA and private-sector sponsors that will help promote research and innovations that will lead to improvements in veterans' lives.
The directive which will take effect March 26 requires the use of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements for industry-sponsored research at all VA medical centers.
The requirement is designed to streamline the process for VA and other health care providers and companies to collaborate when conducting a research study in human volunteers to answer specific health questions, commonly called clinical-trials. VA researchers at medical centers participate in many hundreds of clinical trials each year that rely, in part, on funding and other resources from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industry sponsors.
The Agreements will create consistency throughout the VA system, making it easier for VA investigators to participate in multisite clinical trials which occur in later stages of research and involve a number of locations and a large number of participants.
"This new directive will make it easier for VA and private sector leaders in the health care industry to combine resources in research projects that serve to benefit veterans," said Joel Kupersmith, MD, Chief Research and Development Officer "These projects will enhance the quality of care for our nation's veterans and advance medical science in ways that benefit the entire nation."
These collaborative Agreements permit VA to accept funds, personnel, services and property from a party working with the Department on a clinical trial. In turn, VA can provide personnel, services, access and property to the collaborator. Collaborators benefit from VA researchers' expertise in discovery and innovation, and their experience in the development of products with commercial potential. VA researchers have won three Nobel prizes, six Lasker awards and numerous other awards as a result of their research.
The agreements serve to ensure that veterans' information is kept confidential and protect collaborators' privileged, commercial or financial information. The Agreements create an enforceable contract between VA and its industry partners and spells out ownership and licensing agreements before any inventions are made.
Additional information on Cooperative Research and Development Agreements can be found at http://www.research.va.gov/programs/tech_transfer/crada/. Representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs will be presenting this topic at the National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations conference on Feb. 20, 2008. VA's Under Secretary for Health, Michael J. Kussman, MD, will provide opening remarks at the conference. More information about the conference can be found at http://www.navref.org/cradaconference/.
|
