In June 2017, Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) opened a Phase I clinical research facility in Fairfax, Virginia.
The state-of-the-art facility will provide the space and equipment required to carry out early-stage drug development and advanced cancer trial programmes. It will also enhance VCS’s cancer research programme by improving its overall Phase I clinical capabilities.
VCS’s Phase I clinical research facility details
The clinical facility has a total floor space of 4,000ft² and includes four treatment chairs equipped with special heating and massage features.
The site’s design provides a comfortable and peaceful environment while encouraging communication and bonding among patients.
Each of the facility’s treatment areas can be closed with curtains to offer private space for the patients.
Phase I clinical trials protocols often require patients to be present on-site for more than 12 hours. In such events, the facility can accommodate the resident’s family members and caregivers.
Among the staff employed at the facility are a team of physicians, data coordinators, nurses and clinical research coordinators.
The facility also employs pharmacists who can ensure strict adherence to testing standards and offer specialised nursing services round-the-clock to monitor patients.
Phase I clinical trials at the facility
VCS established the Phase I clinical facility in order to realise its long-term objective of turning the site into an Immuno-Oncology Centre of Excellence.
According to the company, Phase I clinical trials are usually only available at large academic research centres, and very few companies can offer Phase I services during the initial stages of drug development.
The facility will allow VCS to focus on investigational immuno-oncology (I-O) trials while providing patients with access to promising new therapies.
The latest advancement in cancer research, I-O therapies have proven tolerability and strong responses after the completion of treatment in the cancer community.
Marketing commentary on Virginia Cancer Specialists
VCS is a cancer care and research centre based in Northern Virginia that has been carrying out Phase I clinical trials since 2013. It has been offering cancer treatment facilities to patients for more than 40 years.
The research centre has a total of nine offices across Northern Virginia, which aim to help achieve the best outcomes for patients. It also has a number of cancer specialists, including oncologists, haematologists, oncology nurses and oncology pharmacists.
The addition of the new facility enhances the VCS’s ability to provide novel early-stage studies, while also allowing the company to carry out trials and focus on promising new advancements such as immunotherapy.