The Therapeutics Development Network (TDN) is a nationwide network of nearly 80 cystic fibrosis clinical research centers. These centers specialize in conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new CF therapies.
The TDN centers work together to promote quality, safety and efficiency in CF clinical trials by centralizing and standardizing the research process. View a list of all the TDN Centers.
How the Network Increases Quality, Safety, and Efficiency
The TDN was established in 1998 as a subset of the CF Foundation’s Care Center Network. It is composed of Foundation-accredited care centers, a central coordinating center at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and laboratories that specialize in interpreting CF outcome measures.
Thirteen of the TDN centers are designated as Translational Centers for their focus on early phase clinical trials, identifying new therapies and developing new ways to measure clinical trial outcomes.
The TDN’s highly collaborative approach to clinical trials includes:
- Centralized review of clinical trial protocols
- Common policies to protect patient safety
- Standardized research procedures
- Shared expertise among top CF researchers
- Network-wide training for staff
The outcome of this approach is more efficient and effective trial design and execution, resulting in high-quality data and more information for the further development of potential CF therapies. This allows new drugs to move into larger Phase 3 studies more quickly.
The Need for a Growing Network
The TDN is primarily funded by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics. Additional funding for clinical studies comes from private industry sponsors and other non-profit agencies such as the National Institutes of Health.
The TDN is currently involved in trials for gene therapy, protein-assist therapy, anti-infective drugs and other treatments.
As the Foundation expands its drug development pipeline — approximately 30 therapies are now in development for CF — the need for more research professionals and clinical trial participants continues to grow.
To meet this need, the Foundation enlarged the TDN in January 2009 from a network of 18 centers to almost 80 centers. This expansion followed two years of transitional research program funding designed to help numerous care centers increase their research capabilities.
Contact Us
People with CF can find out about participating in clinical trials by talking to providers at their local care center, contacting the nearest TDN center, or using the clinical trial search tool.
Sponsors or investigators interested in conducting a study with the TDN should contact Jill Van Dalfsen, Director, Network and Clinical Trial Operations, CFFT-TDNCC Seattle Children's.
Foundation-accredited care centers that are interested in joining this growing network should contact the CF Foundation's Grants and Contracts Office at CFFTAwards@cfftherapeutics.org.
Ways You Can Help
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Updated 1/29/2013
