Columbia University’s Clinical Trials Network for Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases was established with a grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.

It aims to find more effective treatments for people suffering from Lyme-related conditions.

The Clinical Trials Network, under the direction of Dr. Brian Fallon, has announced the third round of Pilot Study Proposal submissions (January 15 to March 15, 2023).

The CTN welcomes clinicians, researchers, and investigators from academic institutions to submit proposals. The proposals are typically 1-3 pages in length, but longer proposals are accepted for review.

The CTN’s goal is to support the conduct of small-scale human treatment studies related to treatment of Lyme and other tick-related diseases. These small pilot studies are conducted to determine whether future larger investigations are warranted. Pilot studies often assess safety and feasibility, are exploratory in nature, and are not meant to answer the same questions as larger randomized control trials.

The CTN Study Review Committee will review submissions for consideration for further development into a pilot study. Each pilot study will be conducted at one of the CTN investigation sites. The CTN has funding to support 1-2 small pilot studies each year.

Current CTN network affiliates include investigators from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in Baltimore Maryland, and Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C.

The CTN Study Review Committee includes the core CTN members, clinical research experts, and academic and community clinicians. Results of the CTN pilot studies – if favorable – will lead to consideration for larger Randomized Controlled Trials.

The deadline for the first round of submissions for treatment research ideas from the research scientists and clinicians is March 15, 2023. The submission period opens January 15, 2023.

SOURCE: Columbia University Irving Medical Center