The Clinical Trials Network for Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases, established with a grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to Columbia University, aims to find more effective treatments for people suffering from Lyme-related conditions.

Under the leadership of Dr. Brian Fallon, the CTN has now launched its second round of Pilot Study Proposal submissions.

The CTN’s goal is to support the conduct of small-scale human studies related to the treatment of Lyme disease or other tick-related diseases. These pilot studies will help to determine whether future larger investigations are warranted.

Pilot studies generally assess safety and feasibility as primary goals. This data can then be used to support future NIH and Foundation grant submissions.

The Clinical Trials Network invites clinicians, researchers, and investigators from academic institutions to submit proposals. The proposals are typically 2-4 pages in length.

The CTN Study Review Committee members will review submissions. Favorable proposals will be further revised by Columbia’s clinical trials’ experts. Each pilot study will be conducted at one of the CTN investigation sites.

Should the research proposal come from an academic center with clinical research experience, a collaboration may ensue so that the proposed study could be conducted jointly. The CTN has funding to support 1-3 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.

The deadline for the first round of submissions for treatment research proposals is June 15, 2022.

To submit a Pilot Study Proposal:

• Go to https://www.lymectn.org/Pilot.aspx
• Create a user account
• Create a new application, and complete and submit the online application form

PRESS RELEASE SOURCE: Columbia University Irving Medical Center