“The conferees note particularly the excellent efforts of NIH, especially through
the PPRU Network, which will contribute significantly to this effort.”
- CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 830, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION MODERNIZATION ACT OF
1997 (HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - NOVEMBER 09, 1997)
The Pediatric Pharmacology Research Units (PPRU) Network, was an
organization of university based pediatric clinical pharmacologists founded in 1994
by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National
Institutes of Health. The initial funding cycle was dedicated to performing pediatric
labeling studies for industry.
Over the 2 subsequent funding cycles, the PPRU became a
group of multidisciplinary investigators organized around competencies to facilitate
design and conduct nationally-based, multisite translational and clinical studies
in pediatric therapeutics. Through the 3 funding cycles and 16 years, the PPRU attained
impressive achievements in part by labeling for the pediatric population and developing
translational research.
A Major Network Asset
The collective thinking and collaboration among pediatric investigators
from many backgrounds:
- Fostered transition from single-site oriented investigations to organized
investigative teams from multiple sites
- Allowed teams to work outside of institutional boundaries
- Encouraged teams to address therapeutic issues driven by unique individual
patient response to drugs
The PPRU Network formed multidisciplinary teams of clinical pharmacologists and
investigators with expertise in developmental biology, systems biology, bioinformatics,
pharmacogenomics, metabolomics, and biomarker development. Emphasis was placed on
fostering the integration of the knowledge gained from genomic research into developmental
pharmacology.
Over the years the PPRU Network assumed a leadership
role in setting the agenda for pediatric therapeutic research for the next
decade. It has laid the groundwork for continued pediatric
clinical trials, pediatric clinical pharmacology and therapeutics research.