Center Overview

Okanagan Clinical Trials is a medical research company based in Kelowna, B.C. operating since 1992 conducting many different clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies. We have conducted trials on a wide range of disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, general anxiety, premenstrual dysphoria, attention deficit disorder, headaches, obesity, insomnia, diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chron’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, post herpetic neuralgia and dyslipidemia. We have recently expanded our facilities and are well equipped to handle a variety of therapeutic areas including psychiatry, general practice, internal medicine, gastroenterology and men’s health. We can accommodate studies on both children and adults.

MISSION STATEMENT:

To achieve excellence in both the conduct of clinical trials for our pharmaceutical industry clients and in the provision of compassionate and ethical care to our patients.

Clinical Research Experience

We have been operating since 1992 and have considerable experience conducting clinical trials for the pharmaceutical industry. We have a psychiatric clinic on site, a general practitioner and collaborate with other specialists as necessary. A complete list of our trial experience is available on our website.

We have worked for Pfizer, Lundbeck, Wyeth-Ayerst, Janssen-Ortho, GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmacia, Eli Lilly and Astra Zeneca among others.

Facility Description

We occupy 3,000 square feet on the second floor of an office building that is a remodeled heritage packing house in the cultural district of Kelowna, BC. There is an elevator and we are completely wheelchair accessible. We have a self-contained lab facility. We are 5 minutes from the hospital and are in the city center. The Kelowna International Airport is 15 min away.

Clinics:

Our offices include a psychiatry clinic specializing in mood and anxiety disorders which sees more than 500 new patients a year. Bipolar Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder are well represented.

Equipment:

• Reception
• Examining rooms
• Interview rooms
• Physician and Coordinator offices
• Work area for CRA
• Locked medication storage, temperature monitored
• Secure binder storage room
• Archival Storage (25 year)
• Fax, copier, scanner, color printer
• Computers with high-speed internet connections
• Remote data entry capable and experienced
• Temperature controlled environment
• Access to dry ice
• Local Lab
• -20° and -80° Celsius freezer
• Centrifuge
• 12 lead EKG(telephonic or standard)
• Imaging available in Kelowna: CT, MRI, Bone Density (Lunar, DPX alpha, dual photon x-ray absorptiometry), mammography

Shipping:

FedEx, Compaq, Purolator, World Courier, DHL, and Marken

IRB:

Central or local

We do not offer inpatient facilities.

Investigator Experience

Principal Investigator

Paul Latimer has more than 25 years experience in clinical practice, research and administration. After obtaining his medical degree from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, he did psychiatric training at Queen's, Oxford and Temple Universities. After his residency he did a doctorate in medical science at McMaster University where he was also a Medical Research Council of Canada Scholar. Since 1983 he has been practicing psychiatry in Kelowna, B.C. where he has held many administrative positions and has done numerous clinical trials. He has published many scientific papers and one book on the psychophysiology of functional bowel disorders. He is an avid photographer, skier and outdoorsman.

Degrees and qualifications:

MD, - Queens University, Kingston, Ontario
PhD, Medical Sciences, - McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
FRCPC, - Fellowship in Psychiatry

Current Positions:

Psychiatrist, Kelowna, BC
President, Okanagan Clinical Trials
Investigator, Okanagan Clinical Trials
Consulting privileges, Kelowna General Hospital

Previous Professional Experience:

Assistant Professor, McMaster University
Medical Research Council of Canada Scholar
Associate Professor (with tenure), Temple University, PA
Psychiatrist, private practice, Kelowna, BC
Active hospital privileges, Kelowna General Hospital
Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Kelowna General Hospital
Chair of Medical Advisory Committee, Kelowna General Hospital
President of Medical Staff, Kelowna General Hospital
Director of Psychiatric Services, Kelowna General Hospital
Physician Director, Central Okanagan Mental Health Program

Postgraduate Training:

Psychiatry Residency, Queen's University
Doctorate, Medical Science, McMaster University

For information on other investigators with Okanagan Clinical Trials, see our Web site at www.okanaganclinicaltrials.com

Staff Expertise

Study Coordinators:

Carol Fazekas

Carol is a certified clinical research professional. Carol has 13 years experience as a clinical research assistant and has been involved in all aspects of research coordination during that time. In addition to her broad experience, she has a bachelor's degree in Sociology and is proficient with many software programs and at creating and managing patient databases.

Angela Creighton

Angela has an honours degree in Nutraceutical science and has been with Okanagan Clinical Trials since 2008. She is now a fully qualified Research Coordinator.

Razvan Obada

Razvan earned his Bachelor's degree in statistics with special emphasis on biostatistics in Romania. He had worked as a Research Coordinator in Romania and has now been with Okanagan Clinical Trials since 2008.

Sharan Sidhu

Sharan has recently moved from Vancouver after completing her Masters degree in Medical Genetics and joins the team as an intern. While training, she will work in data entry and assist current coordinators in a variety of areas. Her training will culminate with the SOCRA exam and qualification as a Certified Clinical Research Professional.

Office Manager

Erin McCart

Erin is a certified medical office assistant and pharmacy technician with experience at several clinics in the Okanagan. She brings her friendly demeanor, organization and experience to the team at Okanagan Clinical Trials.

Office Assistant

Meghan Helfrich

Meghan has recently completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and works full time at Okanagan Clinical Trials. She works closely with the study coordinators and assists them with the day to day responsibilities of a study coordinator.

Patient Demographics

Kelowna and suburbs have about 150,000 population. It is mainly a Caucasian population.

Other Information

We use a central IRB.

Contact Information

Dr. Paul Latimer, CEO
Okanagan Clinical Trials
204-1353 Ellis Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (250)-862-8141
Fax: (250)-862-8130
EMail: dr@okanaganclinicaltrials.com
Web Site: http://www.okanaganclinicaltrials.com/

Currently Enrolling Trials

The following trial(s) are actively recruiting patients:

• Are you persistently sad? Do you lack the energy and motivation to do things you once enjoyed? Do you feel hopeless? You may be suffering from depression.

If you are interested in contacting this center to discuss placing a clinical trial there, please complete and send the E-mail form below. A representative from the research center will then follow up with you.

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Country:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Message: