The Neuro | Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital

A global leader in brain research and advanced patient care, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) conducts 20% of all phase I clinical trials in Canada and recruits patients in many other countries.

The Neuro’s Clinical Research Unit (CRU) manages more than 110 clinical trials every year (phases 0 to IV), including about a dozen phase I programs for rare and terminal neurological diseases. A model organization focused on performance and patient safety, the CRU boasts some fifty specialized employees. The research team shares the premises of the hospital to facilitate patient recruitment.

Expertise

Multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, rare forms of migraines, multiple system atrophy, genetic forms of Parkinson’s disease, rare forms of dementia, primary brain tumours, autism, stroke and spinal column disorders.

Services

• Clinical and preclinical studies sponsored by pharmaceutical companies or funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH);
• Drug discovery platform: preclinical trials (phase 0) for proof-of-concept validation before a first human administration trial;
• Centralized resources to support investigators: staffing, ethics review, budgets, contracts, etc.;
• Clinical research mentoring and training program.

Infrastructures

• Unit and team dedicated to phase I trials;
• Two treatment rooms for visits of less than 24 hours;
• A clean room dedicated to clinical trials of stem cells and gene therapies.