Ozarks medical research expands

Springfield may not yet be considered a national heavyweight when it comes to medical research and innovation, but converging forces could change that.

There's a growing number of products being developed through St. John's Medical Research Institute, more clinical trials are offered through local health systems and St. John's Children's Hospital recently was designated a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital affiliate.

A new approach to research

St. John's Medical Research Institute was born in 2003, but it didn't mature into a full-blown research institute until about a year and a half ago, said Pete Miles, the institute's executive director of research and development.

It was then that the institute expanded its horizons from contracted clinical trials with pharmaceutical companies to developing products envisioned in-house by St. John's physicians.

Once an idea is presented, a group considers options for solving the problem.

From there, a prototype of the product is developed. It is refined and tested at the patient level, winds through U.S. Food and Drug Administration channels and, if approved, is introduced commercially.

One product that has made it through the process is Theraworx, a gentle, alcohol-free hand sanitizer developed by Dr. Roger Huckfeldt, medical director of the institute. Theraworx is designed to eliminate 99.99 percent of organisms that can cause infection. It is now available nationally. Other products in development include ophthalmic antiseptic, an infant surgical table, specialty needles, a colonic medication delivery system and a contact lens with drug-release capabilities.

While the institute's aim is to solve health problems, it's also helping St. John's attract and retain high-caliber doctors who are interested in research and development.

Huckfeldt said the goal is for the research institute to eventually capture enough royalties to become self-funded.

"But that's normally a five- to 10-year process, at least, and we're only about a year and a half into this translational side," Huckfeldt said.

If there isn't money for product development and testing, even the best ideas won't go anywhere. For now, Huckfeldt said, St. John's has an internal fund for prototype development, which is typically difficult to fund.

Once the product is developed, Inveno - a for-profit venture founded to get St. John's medical research from the lab to the market - takes over.

Inveno's startup was funded by a $574,000 commercialization grant from the Missouri Life Sciences Research Board.

Once a prototype is developed, Matt Price - Inveno's operations manager and, at the moment, sole employee - looks at ways to test, manufacture, market and sell the product. Inveno may decide to contract out the manufacturing and market it on its own, or it may look for someone to take over the product.

"Our goal is to keep as much of that regional, as far as the research, production and at least the initial commercialization," Huckfeldt said. "So if we can increase jobs, again, we not only help the region, we actually help ourselves."

Clinical trials blossom

Beyond product development, Springfield's health care sector also is active in clinical research and product development trials for outside entities.

One of St. John's newest trials involves the first fully concealed implanted hearing aid, Miles said.

The device, developed by Colorado-based Otologics, is designed for younger or athletic patients who don't really want others to know they have a hearing aid, Miles said.

Other trials touch nearly all specialties, from diabetes to ophthalmology to cardiovascular medicine.

"The general themes are trying to find medicines that increase patient compliance, (are) reducing costs and improving quality of life for patients," Miles said.

Cancer Research Center for the Ozarks, cooperatively supported by St. John's and CoxHealth, connects Ozarks patients with national clinical research oncology trials, said Marilyn Bauer, the center's director.

Since its 1985 opening, more than 4,200 patients have participated in clinical trials through the center, 1730 E Republic Road, Ste. V, which is one of 64 community clinical oncology programs approved by the National Cancer Institute.

"We are one of the best-hidden secrets in Springfield," Bauer said. "You don't tune into (cancer research) until you need it, until it personally strikes you."

The Springfield center works with major cancer research centers to offer patients a chance to participate in trials.

As patients are diagnosed, research nurses review their records. If a patient's situation fits the profile sought for a study, the option is discussed with the patient.

A newly launched site, www.cancerresearch.org, provides a list of trials taking place at CRO, and Bauer said new trials are added regularly.

Ongoing trials now focus on multiple types of cancer, including brain, breast, lung, gynecologic and melanoma.

In July, the center announced a five-year, $4.2 million grant from National Cancer Institute to bring more clinical oncology trials to CoxHealth and St. John's. That grant covers about 80 percent of funding.

For children, St. John's new affiliation with St. Jude Children's Research Center in Memphis will add eight new clinical research protocol options.

The designation - one of six in the nation - enables St. John's to offer the same clinical research treatment options offered at St. Jude's Memphis research site. A $1 million donation from the William and Jane Pitt family in June is funding the development of the Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center, set to open this summer.

St. John's Children's Hospital will meet the standards set by St. Jude for hematology-oncology patients. Annual audits will confirm the hospital's ability to meet those standards.

"It was wonderful to get the donation, but it was very helpful that we had the research infrastructure in place to support the pediatric oncology research protocols," Miles said.

Bauer said research is extremely important as a cure for cancer is still sought.

"We're making little strides," she said. "It's probably not going to be just one thing that cures cancer. It's not going to be one drug or one therapy. It's going to be a lot of things."

CoxHealth, which is pursuing grants to establish its own research center, has research studies being conducted at Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute, by Cox Family Medicine Residency physicians, pharmacy residents and other staff.

A research coordinator recently hired at CoxHealth's Wheeler Heart and Vascular Center to help with its participation in national studies will head the research center when it is developed, said Stacy Fender, CoxHealth media relations coordinator, though she said a timeline for opening the center is undetermined.

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