Are you a researcher who needs help with recruiting?
From time to time, local researchers seek subjects for their MS studies. When these opportunities arise, the Chapter makes this information available to you. See below for the most current local opportunities.
Are you a person with MS who may be interested in participating in a clinical trial?
Local Clinical Trials Recruiting Patients
To participate in some of these studies, you may have to reside near the facility, as treatment and follow-up visits will be necessary throughout the course of the study. Also, please keep in mind that clinical trials often have strict criteria for enrollment, specifying the type of people (disease type, duration, age, etc.) they are seeking to participate. These help to ensure that the results will be as reliable and as effective as possible. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial we encourage you to discuss the possibility with your personal physicians.
- DECIDE: Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized, Parallel-group, Monotherapy, Active-control Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of Daclizumab High Yield Process (DAC HYP) versus Avonex® (Interferon β 1a) in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
- A combination trial of Copaxone plus Estriol in relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis
- Evaluation of a Comprehensive MS Symptom Questionnaire
- Exploratory Study of the Timing of Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
- Genes and Environment in Multiple Sclerosis (GEMS): Integrating Genetic and Environmental Risks into an Algorithm to Predict Multiple Sclerosis Susceptibility
- Functional and Volumetric Brain Imaging in Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
DECIDE:
Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized, Parallel-group, Monotherapy, Active-control Study to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of Daclizumab High Yield Process (DAC HYP) versus Avonex® (Interferon β 1a) in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
| Recruitment Period: |
August 2010—ongoing |
| Location of Study/Trial : |
MS Center at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center |
| Recruiting: |
Subjects ages 18-55 with relapsing-remitting MS, who are able to walk without any assistive aids, such as a cane or walker. Subjects must have had two or more clinical relapses within the previous 3 years with at least 1 clinical relapse in the 12 months prior to randomization OR one or more clinical relapses and one or more new MRI lesions within the previous 2 years.
Exclusion criteria |
| Principal Investigator: |
Joshua Katz, MD, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, MS Center. Ellen Lathi, MD, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, MS Center. |
| Contacts: | Marissa Hone, Study Coordinator, at 671-789-3171, or email marissa.hone@steward.org |
| Sponsor: | Biogen |
Description of Study/Trial:
The purpose of this study is to compare daclizumab high-yield process (also called DAC HYP) to Avonex in the treatment of relapsing remitting MS. This study will also allow researchers to learn more about the safety of long-term treatment with DAC HYP in patients with MS.
Subjects will be seen by neurologists for cognitive testing, have routine MRIs, ECGs and blood draws during the study visits, which will be over 2-3 years depending on time of enrollment.
Subjects will be required to travel to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center for appointments.
For more information, please contact Marissa Hone, Study Coordinator, at 617-789-3171, or email marissa.hone@steward.org.
A combination trial of Copaxone plus Estriol in relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis
| Recruitment Period: |
June 2007- ongoing |
| Location of Study/Trial : |
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, |
| Recruiting: |
Females 18-50 with relapsing-remitting MS, who are able to walk without any assistive aids such as a cane or walker, and have had at least one relapse within the last 2 years. |
| Principal Investigator: | Enrico Lallana, MD, Director, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, MS Center. |
| Contacts: | Laurie Rizzo, Study Coordinator, at 603-653-9947, or email Laurie.S.Rizzo@hitchcock.org |
| Sponsor: | funded by the National MS Society and the National Institutes of Health. |
Description of Study/Trial:
The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of oral Estriol in combination with Copaxone injections is safe; if the use of combination treatment causes a decrease in relapse rates; if there is more rapid improvement on brain MRI with the combination treatment; if there is an improvement in disability measures with the combination treatment.
Subjects will be seen by neurologists, gynecologists and for cognitive testing during the study visits, which will be over 24 months.
Subjects will be required to travel to Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical center for appointments.
For more information, please contact Laurie Rizzo, Study Coordinator, at 603-653-9947, or email Laurie.S.Rizzo@hitchcock.org.
Evaluation of a Comprehensive MS Symptom Questionnaire
| Recruitment Period: | 5/1/11-3/31/12 |
| Location of Study/Trial: | Nationwide. The study can be completed by mail or online. |
| Recruiting: |
Must meet following criteria:
|
| Principal Investigator: |
Erin M. Snook, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA |
| Contacts: |
Erin Snook (esnook@kin.umass.edu) 413-545-6007 |
| Sponsor: | Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers |
Description of Study/Trial:
Researchers in the Physical Activity and Behavior Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are currently recruiting individuals with MS for a study of MS symptoms. This is a voluntary study that is testing a new comprehensive symptom questionnaire to determine how well it is able to measure the severity, frequency, and distressfulness of MS symptoms. The study can be completed by mail or online and participants will be compensated for their time and effort. Participants in the study must have a definite diagnosis of MS and be between 20-70 years old. Anyone interested in more information should contact Dr. Erin Snook by email esnook@kin.umass.edu or telephone (413) 545-6007.
Exploratory Study of the Timing of Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
| Recruitment Period: |
Start Date – 11/1/11 End date – 11/1/13 |
| Location of Study/Trial: | Study is based out of University of Louisville, but participants can reside anywhere in the US. |
| Recruiting: | Adult women diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS |
| Principal Investigator: | Cynthia Corbitt, PhD; University of Louisville, Department of Biology, Louisville, KY. |
| Contacts: |
Research staff: 502-994-7723 Recruitment flyer |
| Sponsor: | This study does not receive any outside funding |
Description of Study/Trial:
Participants will complete a health survey (including time since diagnosis, menstrual cycle information, current medications, etc) and a 30-day retrospective health diary during an instructional phone call, during which the subject will first go through informed consent procedures. Then the participant will complete a prospective 90-day health diary, which researchers will use to statistically look at the timing of multiple sclerosis symptoms. Participants will be involved with the study for a total four (4) months.
Genes and Environment in Multiple Sclerosis (GEMS): Integrating Genetic and Environmental Risks into an Algorithm to Predict Multiple Sclerosis Susceptibility
| Recruitment Period: | September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2015 |
| Location of Study/Trial: | Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Harvard Medical School. Potential subjects do not have to come to Boston and could reside anywhere in the U.S. |
| Recruiting: | First-degree relatives (parent, sibling, or child) of MS patients; subjects are between 18-50 years of age |
| Principal Investigator: | Philip De Jager, MD, PhD; Associate Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School, Director of Basic and Clinical Research of the BWH Neurosciences Institute, and Director of Program in Translational NeuroPsychiatric Genomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital |
| Contacts: | Irene Wood, 617-264-5980, bwhmsstudy@partners.org |
| Sponsor: | Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center |
Description of Study/Trial:
To identify the genetic, environmental, immune, and neuroimaging profiles that may increase a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Obtaining information about who is at risk for MS will be beneficial in the future in identifying effective ways to screen or prevent this disease.
Study of Functional and Volumetric Brain Imaging in Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Also informally known as MS Imaging Research
| Recruitment Period: | December 2009 – December 2013 |
| Location of Study/Trial: |
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center One Medical Center Drive Lebanon, NH 03756 |
| Recruiting: | MS patients with Relapsing-Remitting MS or Secondary-Progressive MS who are between the ages of 18 and 60 as well as healthy controls in the same age group. |
| Principal Investigator: | Heather Wishart, PhD., Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the Neuropsychology Program and Brain Imaging Lab at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center |
| Contacts: |
Susan Cronenwett at (603) 650-8706 or Susan.Cronenwett@Dartmouth.edu Jennifer Randolph at (603) 650-2665 or Jennifer.S.Randolph@Dartmouth.edu |
The purposes of the study are to test new MRI methods for MS, to test for effects of MS medications on brain activity and other MRI outcomes, and to improve understanding of the neurological basis of MS symptoms.
Methodology: Participants will undergo brain MRI, and complete a series of neuropsychological tests of cognitive functions such as memory and attention. An optional blood draw can be included for gene typing. The MRI lasts about 60 minutes. Neuropsychological testing usually takes about 3 hours, and breaks for lunch, coffee, stretching, etc are provided. Participation is usually a single visit and can be spread over two days. A few participants will be asked to return for a second visit as long as a year after the first.
NO drugs, dyes, gadolinium or injections are used in this study.
Compensation: Participants will be compensated for their time and travel. Call for details.
Do you need help recruiting participants for an MS research study?
The Greater New England Chapter may be able to assist PhD and/or MD-level researchers recruit people with MS and/or family members for appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved research/clinical trial studies.
If you are the primary investigator and would like the chapter’s assistance to recruit participants for your MS research, please submit a letter of request to the chapter.
Please include the following information:
- Name of trial/study
- Name and Academic credentials of the Principal Investigator (PI)
- Description of study to include: purpose, who is being recruited, and methodology of study
- Start and end dates for recruitment phase of study
- Copy of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval letter
- Any other information as requested by the chapter
Once approved, research recruitment will be posted at the chapter website and in the chapter newsletter as space allows. Targeted mailings to chapter members for the purpose of recruiting study participants will be considered only if staff resources are available and funding for the mailing is provided.
The chapter does not assist in the recruitment of participants for market research studies. The chapter reserves the right to decline participation in the recruitment process for any research study for any reason.
Send all requests to:
David Young-Hong
Director of Clinical & Long-Term Care Services
National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA, 02451
David.young-hong@nmss.org
Other Clinical Trials
Other research opportunities in New England and other areas of the country