DaVita Clinical Research (DCR), a specialty CRO with services in drug and device development, has formed a non-exclusive agreement with Pacific Pharma Group to provide consulting, program strategy and protocol design support for clinical pharmacology studies performed at DCR.

Jon Ruckle, M.D., CPI, principal at Pacific Pharma Group, will collaborate with DCR to continue to expand DCR's phase I research capabilities. Ruckle was investigator for more than 350 studies across therapeutic areas including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and osteoporosis, as well as first-in-human trials with biologics and small molecules.

Ruckle currently is assistant clinical professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Previously, he held medical director positions at Comprehensive Clinical Development, Covance Clinical Research Unit and Radiant Research Unit Honolulu. He was medical director and co-founder of Northwest Kinetics and has authored more than 30 medical publications.

"State-of-the-art, hospital-based phase I facilities offering access to both patient and healthy normal populations are of great interest to pharmaceutical researchers," said Ruckle. "Through our relationship with DCR, Pacific Pharma Group will be able to offer clients access to these valuable services."