The Canadian contract research organization (CRO) has been accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) – a voluntary peer-driven group that assess patient safety and ethical concerns - since 2006 and has now chosen Alion Science and Technology Corporation’s HRPP accreditation services for further endorsement.
Ethica’s President Dr. Janice Parente said in a press release: “We saw in Alion an accrediting body that better supports our mission, offers flexible, responsive service, and aligns with our business activities.”
She continued, adding: “Given the dynamic nature of the research and business environments in which we operate, we share the belief that accreditation must be an equally dynamic and evolutionary process.”
The company had considered a number of HRPP service providers, factoring in experience, governance, reputation, rigor, transparency and level of resources dedicated to their accreditation programs before selecting Alion.
The company was the first Canadian firm to gain accreditation, and the first CRO to gain it worldwide from the AAHRPP.
Since then, uptake has been slow though US CRO Celerion was awarded full accreditation last year with CEO Marjorie Speers hoping the certification would have “a ripple effect across the research enterprise and that other CROs follow the lead.”
According to the AAHRP, the goals of accreditation are to improve the systems that protect the rights and welfare of individuals who participate in research and communicate to the public the strength of commitment to the protection of human research participants.
Accredited organisations must renew their approvals three years after the initial accreditation and five years thereafter. It is necessary to perform a self-assessment and gap analysis for both the initial application and each renewal.