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21st Century - Reproductive Medicine Network (RMN) [2] (multiple letters)

  • Phyllis C. Leppert
    ,
  • Paul G. McDonough
Scholary Output:
Contribution to journal
Letter
 Peer-review

Open access

Publication Information

Output type

Scholary Output:
Contribution to journal
Letter
 Peer-review

Original language

English (US)

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 1718-1719 (2 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Fertility and sterility (Volume 82, Issue 6)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 12/2004

Publication status

Published - 12/2004

ISSN

0015-0282

Publication IDs

  • Scopus: 10044257899
  • PubMed: 15589895

Access to documents

Publication metrics

Metrics

SciVal
Author count
2
SciVal
Paper percentile
24
Fractional count
1
Fractional count
0.50
Fractional count
1
Fractional count
0.50
Fractional count
1
Fractional count
1

Funding Details

Phyllis C. Leppert M.D., Ph.D. Chief, Reproductive Science Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland To the Editor: In his commentary, “Grading a developmental continuum—elegy on the rise and fall of the endometrial biopsy” ( 1 ), Paul McDonough, M.D., comments on the Reproductive Medicine Network (RMN), a multicenter clinical trials network funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) as a cooperative agreement, and compares it to the NICHD sponsored Maternal-Fetal Medicine Network. Dr. McDonough's comments and support of the RMN are appreciated. However, his impression that the support of NICHD to the RMN falls short compared to the Maternal Fetal Medicine Network (MFMN) is inaccurate. For the past three years, a total of three RSB staff have been actively involved with the RMN. Two of these staff members are obstetrician-gynecologists, one responsible for administrative functions and one who is the research coordinator. The third staff member is a Ph.D., who organizes all functions of the Advisory Board and the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee. Although these staff members do have additional responsibilities they are fully committed to their RMN assignments. This compares favorably with the NICHD staff support to the MFMN. The membership of both the Advisory Board and the Data Safety and Monitoring Committee includes biostatisticians, epidemiologists, reproductive endocrinologists, and obstetrician-gynecologists. The Data Coordinating Center at Duke University conducts the daily ongoing management of the data as well as providing statistical expertise in study design, an arrangement similar to that of the MFMN. In addition to completing a study of molecular markers of the endometrium using a proteomic approach, the RMN is currently conducting a large three-armed study of metformin, clomiphene-citrate, and combined metformin/clomiphene citrate in the treatment of the infertility in polycystic ovary syndrome. This study is significant because it is designed to provide information on live births in addition to early pregnancy events, as well as the influence of estrogen receptor polymorphisms on the response to medication. Dr. McDonough calls for a critical review of all NIH sponsored Multicenter Clinical Trial Networks. Fully eight months ago, NICHD established a group of experts to provide consultation to Dr. Duane Alexander, the Director of NICHD, regarding the future of the RMN. This group is to advise him on the impact of the RMN on the field of reproductive medicine, the appropriateness of the support mechanisms and infrastructure, and possible modifications that could enhance productivity. A report from this expert group will be given to Dr. Alexander in early 2005. I am confident that the consultation report will be helpful to both NICHD and the reproductive medicine community. I believe strongly that carefully designed and conducted clinical trials are essential to the future of reproductive medicine.
FundersFunding numbers
NICHD sponsored Maternal-Fetal Medicine Network
-
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute
-
NICHD
-
National Institutes of Health Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Department of Health, Australian Government
-