"Clinical research is often a slow process that can get mired in bureaucracy. Here we can be nimble and have the opportunity to focus on innovating."

– Shyamali Singhal, MD, Medical Director of the Cancer Center at El Camino Hospital

Active Trials

Clinical research trials are used to develop, produce, and evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments and therapies for diseases. Participation in clinical trials is voluntary. Clinical trials are federally regulated. With the Fogarty Institute and at El Camino Hospital trials are also reviewed by the El Camino Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB). The purpose of the IRB is to protect the patient. The IRB reviews all studies for safeguards and reasonable risks in relation to potential benefits.

Clinical trials are currently being conducted by FCRI in the following areas:

Areas of Research:

Therapeutic Area	Trial Name	Description
Carotid Artery Disease	ACT I	To evaluate the equivalence of carotid artery stenting using the Abbott Vascular Xact(R) stent and Emboshield(R) embolic protection system when compared to endarterectomy in low-surgical-risk patients.
Electrophysiology	OPTIMISE CRT	A randomized study to evaluate the benefit of using the Quick Opt method compared to the standard method of programming a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device (CRT-D) to improve mechanical indices, symptoms, and exercise.
Coronary Artery Disease	EDUCATE	The purpose of the study is to better understand the safety and efficacy of 12 months versus 30 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients that have received the Endeavor drug eluting stent for coronary artery stenosis.
Mitral Valve Regurgitation	EVEREST II (REALISM)	Continued access registry to provide additional information regarding the endovascular approach to treatment of mitral valve regurgitation using the Evalve Cardiovascular Valve Repair System (MitraClip) and to evaluate changes in functional capacity after successful MitraClip treatment.
Severe Aortic Stenosis	CoreValve	CoreValve is a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure, a minimally invasive treatment option for people with severe aortic stenosis.
Stroke	CRYSTAL AF	A randomized study to evaluate whether patients who have suffered a cryptogenic stroke, a stroke of unknown cause, may benefit from the timely detection of atrial fibrillation using the Reveal XT Insertable Cardiac Monitor device.

For information about participating in our clinical trials, please call Fogarty Clinical Research, Inc. at 650.962.4512.

Conducting Trials

For information about conducting a clinical trial at the Taft Center, please call Betty deBettencourt at 650.962.4566.