At UHN, where clinical care and research come together to improve patient experiences, Clinical Trials Week is a time to celebrate the advancements and dedication in the field. UHN, with over 3,100 active clinical research studies, stands at the forefront of medical innovation, ensuring the best care for patients today and tomorrow.
A highlight of our research is the Platform of Randomized Adaptive Clinical Trials in Critical Illness (PRACTICAL). This innovative platform employs a Bayesian adaptive design to streamline the evaluation of novel interventions for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, a condition where the lungs cannot provide enough oxygen to the blood, leading to severe respiratory distress. The PRACTICAL platform functions as a comprehensive research pipeline, seamlessly advancing treatments from preliminary trials to full-scale definitive clinical trials.
Our success is built on the commitment of patients participating in these studies and the dedicated professionals behind the scenes. They embody the spirit of collaboration, compassion, and innovation, driving medical progress forward. Patients who participate in our studies are the true heroes, contributing to the development of new treatments and offering hope to countless others facing similar health challenges.
Join us in celebrating Clinical Trials Week at UHN and honour the remarkable achievements of those who make medical progress possible. To learn more about the PRACTICAL platform and its impact, watch this patient-experience video.
Currently, there are three active domains within PRACTICAL:
● CORT-E2: Corticosteroid Early and Extended, funded by CIHR and HAHSO, supported by the UHN Foundation, and led by Drs. Bram Rochwerg (McMaster University) and Lorenzo del Sorbo (UHN).
● IMV: Invasive Mechanical Ventilation Strategies, funded by CIHR, supported by the UHN Foundation, and led by Drs. Ewan Goligher and Niall Ferguson (UHN) as principal investigators.
● ULTIMATE: Ultra-Low Tidal Volume Mechanical Ventilation in ARDS through ECMO, funded by CIHR, supported by the UHN Foundation, and led by Drs. Eddy Fan and Niall Ferguson (UHN).
These domains, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05440851), exemplify our commitment to improving critical care outcomes. Notably, the DRIVE-USA trial within the IMV domain, supported by the Department of Defense and the Australia's Medical Research Future Fund, further underscores the global collaboration.