The Cerebral Palsy Research Network CEO, Paul Gross, spoke this week at an international summit focused on planning an adaptive trials network for cerebral palsy (CP). Adaptive trials are studies that use unique statistical methodologies to conduct clinical trials that can dynamically change as information is learned from the ongoing trial. Adaptive designs have the potential to test multiple interventions at once which can, in turn, increase the speed of drug or device trials. CP ADAPT is a new international research network in the early planning phase. Mr. Gross has co-founded four research networks over the past 16 years and will be speaking about his key learnings from that experience.

“We are excited to hear Paul’s perspective as both a parent of a child with CP and as a co-founder of numerous research networks,” said Iona Novak, PhD, of the CP Alliance Research Institute in Australia. “We have a long-time collaborative relationship and look forward to planning this new network together.”

Hosted and sponsored by the Elsass Foundation in Copenhagen, Denmark, the summit was organized by leaders in the CP research field including the CP Alliance’s Iona Novak, PhD, Université Libre de Bruxelles’ Bernard Dan, MD, Monash University’s Michael Fahey, MD and University of Copenhagen’s Jens Bo Nielsen, PhD (who also heads Research at the Elsass Foundation). Dr. Novak is received a grant from the CP Alliance to plan the adaptive trials network. Mr. Gross is a Co-Investigator on the grant. While participating as a community advocate, the potential to connect the CP Research Network to CP-ADAPT holds significant potential for more rapidly improving treatments in CP.