Asthma Clinical Research Center Consortium
The American Lung Association of the Upper Midewest provides funding for the national Asthma Clinical Research Centers Network (ACRC).

What is the American Lung Association-Asthma Clinical Research Centers network?
The American Lung Association-Asthma Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) network is a nationwide research group of 20 centers. As an American Lung Association-sponsored research program it is uniquely positioned to conduct large clinical trials that will provide immediate and useful information for people who have asthma.

What is unique about the ACRC Network?
By placing centers around the country the ACRC Network is able to diversify the clinical trials and foster collaboration in asthma research among investigators.

Why the need for asthma research?
Asthma is a major and costly public health problem. Asthma can be life threatening if it is not properly managed. Close to 20 million Americans have asthma at some point in their lives. Approximately 4 million American children had an asthma attack in the past year. Asthma accounts for an estimated 24.5 million lost work days a year for people over 18 years of age. The annual direct health care cost of asthma is approximately $11.5 billion.

How does the ACRC Network work?
The network comprises 20 premier asthma clinical research centers located throughout the United States and a Data Coordinating Center. What makes the American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Center so exciting is that they can recruit large numbers of patients so that one can ask a question and get an answer and draw conclusions with a great deal of confidence. The first study that was done investigated whether it was safe to give the flu vaccine to people with asthma. That study was designed, implemented, and the paper was written and published in less than two years. That’s really quite amazing.

Can you describe what it would mean to participate in a clinical trial?
The ACRC clinical trials are developed after specific scientific models have been studied. When a person volunteers they can expect a supportive environment.

Why should I participate?
To best answer that, here is a response from one of our principle investigators: The doctor responded that one of the most rewarding aspects has been working with participants. For many people, participating in studies is a new and eye-opening experience. It’s an extraordinary opportunity for people to learn more about asthma, how to manage their symptoms better and possibly uncover a better treatment for asthma.

Current ACRC Studies include:

The Asthma Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) Network, sponsored by the American Lung Association, conducts large clinical trials that provide vital information about caring for people who have asthma. The Network comprises 20 clinical centers and a data coordinating center, making it the largest of its kind. Its unique focus on large numbers of patients differentiates it from current federally funded and commercial research, and provides practical information about asthma care that has direct benefits for patients. The ACRC Network is currently conducting the following studies.

The Asthma Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) Network, sponsored by the American Lung Association, conducts large clinical trials that provide vital information about caring for people who have asthma. The Network comprises 20 clinical centers and a data coordinating center, making it the largest of its kind. Its unique focus on large numbers of patients differentiates it from current federally funded and commercial research, and provides practical information about asthma care that has direct benefits for patients. The ACRC Network is currently conducting the following studies.