Software enhances research oversight, improves transparency and expedites veterans’ access to clinical trials   

WCG, the leading provider of services and solutions that improve and accelerate the conduct of clinical trials, announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) is successfully implementing WCG’s IRBNet electronic submission and review system for more than 100 VA medical centers (VAMCs) that have research programs. 

For over a decade, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs), Biosafety Committees and other critical health research oversight subcommittees at VAMCs have been successfully using IRBNet software to manage their internal IRB activities. In 2019, the VA selected IRBNet over other available solutions as the best solution to meet its complex research and compliance needs on an enterprise scale and to standardize processes among all sites. IRBNet provides technology-supported workflow, communication and documentation capabilities, assisting IRB compliance with ethical and regulatory standards for the inclusion of appropriate human subject protections, and the oversight of study conduct as mandated by federal guidelines.

“We are proud that WCG is providing support to the dedicated VA clinicians who care for our veterans at the VA research sites. By precisely following the workflow of the VA’s IRB processes, the IRBNet application enables a seamless transition from paper documents to more efficient electronic reviews. The expertise of our support teams and the ease-of-use of the application were the most compelling features that VA ORD considered in making this large-scale strategic decision,” said Donald A. Deieso, PhD, Executive Chairman and CEO of WCG.  

“IRBNet also enhances the VA transparency into research activities by providing their site administrators, IRB committee members, researchers, and sponsors with real-time access to research submissions, while maintaining a clear audit trail, and recording when changes were made to the documents, and by whom,” added Jeremy Katz, President of WCG IRBNet. IRBNet allows all the functions performed by the VA IRBs to be conducted electronically, from reviewing the research submission application through reporting meeting minutes, coordinating communications, and tracking correspondence to submitting approved protocols. Some VA IRB offices are transitioning from preparing masses of paper documents for review to assigning reviews electronically, while others are migrating from different electronic systems.

“We are delighted that all the VA sites will now be using IRBNet. We specifically designed the platform to facilitate IRB compliance and increase productivity,” said Jeremy Katz, President, WCG IRBNet. “By reducing VA IRB staff’s administrative burden, IRBNet allows them to devote more time to other high priority activities, such as training and protocol development.”

About WCG
WCG is the world’s leading provider of solutions that measurably improve the quality and efficiency of clinical research. Comprised of two divisions, the industry’s first central IRB – WCG IRB – and first clinical services organization, WCG enables biopharmaceutical companies, CROs, and institutions to advance the delivery of new treatments and therapies to patients, while maintaining the highest standards of human participant protection. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com, www.wcgclinical.com  or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical or LinkedIn.

About WCG IRBNet

IRBNet is a wholly owned subsidiary of WCG and is the leading compliance and research oversight solution for institutions. The secure, web-based solution drives compliance and productivity by assimilating the highest ethical and regulatory standards into its user’s daily workflow. IRBNet and currently supports over 2,800 research sites and review boards - and over 370,000 research professionals - in the successful and efficient management of research involving humans and animals.