The Temple Lung Center has been chosen to join a select group of centers nationwide that make up the American Lung Association Airways Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) network. ACRC conducts nationwide clinical trials to provide vital information about caring for people who have asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The addition of the Temple Lung Center, as well as four other centers expands the network's expertise and reach across the nation.
"We are proud to be selected to join the American Lung Association Airways Clinical Research Centers network," said Gerard J. Criner, MD, FACP, FACCP, Chair and Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Director of the Temple Lung Center. "We look forward to joining our colleagues at other esteemed institutions across the country in carrying out clinical research that we hope will provide new and advanced treatment options for patients with COPD and asthma."
"Breathing is essential to life, and it's vital for those suffering from lung disease to have access to the best treatment options available, and we get there through research," said Harold P. Wimmer, National President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "The Airways Clinical Research Centers network attracts some of the best investigators nationwide, and by adding significantly to the expertise of the ACRC network, we will advance research to improve the quality of life for those living with COPD and asthma."
The ACRC network is a key component of the American Lung Association Research Team and is the nation’s largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma and COPD treatment research. Now consisting of 17 clinical research centers across the country, and a data-coordinating center managed by a team at Johns Hopkins University, the ACRC network conducts large clinical trials that directly impact patient care for those living with COPD and asthma.
The ACRC network, formerly known as the Asthma Clinical Research Centers, was originally focused on asthma. In 2015, the network expanded its research scope to include COPD, the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is part of the larger American Lung Association Research Team, conducting research on lung disease nationwide.
The Temple Lung Center is a leader in the Eastern United States for lung transplantation services, acute and chronic care of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine, clinical and scientific research, and medical education. It has become a destination of choice for patients with serious lung problems and is one of the largest lung hospitals and pulmonary surgery centers in the nation.