Pediatric Approach
The involvement of children in clinical trials requires study designs that minimize discomfort in patients, do not disturb family life, and are conducted in a child-friendly environment. The PPRU Network strives to develop child-friendly protocols with minimal risk and the potential of benefit for all pediatric patients regardless of their age and condition.
Pediatric patients involved in drug studies include those with common disorders, such as allergies, asthma and upper respiratory infections, as well as those with less common disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, meningitis, severe infections, sickle cell anemia, cancer, hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder, and childhood depression. The Network is also committed to developing safe and effective drug therapy for children in intensive care and life-threatening situations.
The combined outpatient capabilities of the Network ensure prompt recruitment for clinical trials of drugs across a wide range of therapeutic categories.
The PPRU pediatric pharmacologists use their combined experience and state of the art pediatric facilities to access large numbers of children necessary to shorten the study period. Their combined contributions in this specialized area exceed 1,500 publications. The research expertise of Network investigators is varied and all-encompassing within the field of pediatrics and the discipline of pediatric clinical pharmacology.