FARE Clinical Network Expands Reach with Addition of New Centers of Excellence

Research Collaborative Focusing on Food Allergy Continues to Grow

McLEAN, Va. (Sept. 12, 2017) – Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) is pleased to announce today the expansion of the FARE Clinical Network, a food allergy research collaborative that now comprises 29 leading research and clinical care facilities across the country.

The FARE Clinical Network aims to accelerate the development of drugs for patients with food allergies and improve the quality of care for this potentially life-threatening disease that affects 15 million Americans, including 1 in 13 children. Joining the FARE Clinical Network in 2017 are Children’s Mercy Kansas City, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of South Florida – St. Petersburg and University of South Florida – Tampa.

Launched in 2015, the FARE Clinical Network represents an investment by FARE of approximately $6.5 million since it was created. Under FARE’s leadership and coordination, FARE Clinical Network members serve as sites for clinical trials for the development of new therapeutics and develop best practices for the care of patients with food allergies.

“Our goal is to continue to expand the FARE Clinical Network and provide the necessary infrastructure to rapidly apply evidence-based knowledge not only to research, but to clinical care including diagnostics and management,” said James R. Baker, Jr., MD, CEO and chief medical officer of FARE. “This national collaborative becomes even stronger with the addition of top-notch centers in Florida, Missouri and New York.”

The FARE Clinical Network also serves as a powerful driver of collaboration to advance the field of food allergy, with member centers contributing to the development of a national food allergy patient registry and biorepositories. Earlier this year, directors of each center had the opportunity to meet with patient advocates representing FARE’s Outcomes Research Advisory Board at FARE’s annual Research Retreat. In designated communities, FARE Clinical Network sites also work with FARE’s Community Engagement team on local awareness and education efforts.

“We deeply value the clinical and research activities at our site and are proud of the extent to which we educate our trainees, allied personnel, and the community about food allergy,” said Tara Carr, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona. “Beyond the benefit we receive as a FARE Clinical Network site to develop and grow in these areas, we feel that FARE really prioritizes and encourages patient advocacy. We look forward to continuing this work in collaboration with FARE.”

The centers of excellence selected as part of the FARE Clinical Network provide high-quality clinical and sub-specialty food allergy expertise and services, and are focused on applying new evidence-based knowledge to this important field.

Current Centers of Excellence are as follows:

• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (IL)
• Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute (AR)
• Boston Children's Hospital (MA)
• Children's Hospital Colorado (CO)
• Children's Mercy Kansas City (MO)
• Children's National Health System (DC)
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (OH)
• Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital (NY)
• Gores Family Allergy Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CA)
• Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (NY)
• MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MA)
• National Jewish Health (CO)
• Rady Children's Hospital/University of California, San Diego (CA)
• Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health (IN)
• Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research at Stanford University (CA)
• ‘Specially for Children, an affiliate of Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, an Ascension hospital (TX)
• Texas Children's Hospital Food Allergy Program, Baylor College of Medicine (TX)
• The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (PA)
• The Northwest Asthma and Allergy Center (WA)
• The University of Chicago Medicine (IL)
• UCLA Health (CA)
• UNC Food Allergy Initiative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)
• University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson (AZ)
• University of Michigan (MI)
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (NY)
• University of South Florida – St. Petersburg (FL)
• University of South Florida – Tampa (FL)
• Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center Dallas (TX)
• Virginia Mason Medical Center/Benaroya Research Institute (WA)