Center for Pharmaceutical Research (CPR) is a privately owned clinical research center specializing in Phase I (non-institutional), II, IIb, III, IIIb, and IV clinical trials for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical device industries.

CPR has two primary missions, each equally important:  to provide ethical, safe, cutting-edge medical care for our volunteers and high-quality, clean data to our sponsors with strict adherence to GCP guidlines.

John E. Ervin, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.R. founded the Center for Pharmaceutical Research in 1986 and serves as the President, Medical Director and Principal Investigator.  The Center for Pharmaceutical Research was audited by the FDA in 1995 with no findings and no 483's issued.

Over the past 23 years Dr. Ervin has conducted over 450 clinical trials in all areas of multispecialty research and has earned a reputation for excellence and consistent over-enrollment in most areas of multispecialty research including:

• Acid Reflux
• ADHD
• Alzheimer's Disease
• BPH
• Constipation
• Dermatology
• Diabetes
• DPN
• Erictile Dysfunction
• Female Sexual Dysfunction
• Healthy Volunteer Studies
• High Cholesterol
• Hyperlipidemia
• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Irritable Bowel
• Men's Health
• Migraine
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Neuroscience
• Obesity
• Oral Contraceptive
• Osteoarthritis
• Orthopedics
• Osteoporosis
• PHN
• Premature Ejaculation
• Psoriasis
• Psychiatry
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sleep Disorders
• Smoking Cessation
• Urology
• Vaccines
• Women's Health

Center for Pharmaceutical Research is conveniently located in South Kansas City on the St. Joseph Medical Center campus, a 300-bed Medical Center and medical office complex.  We are approximately 35 minutes south of Kansas City International Airport.

Our newly expanded facilities include the following:

Private Monitoring Areas:

• High-speed internet
• 3 private, spacious monitor offices
• Phone and modem access
• Copy and fax machines
• Large conference room with large, high-definition, LCD screen for computer presentations for site initiations or group monitor visits
• Complimentary refreshments

Research Facility:

• 11 exam/interview rooms
• CLIA waivered lab
• Temperature controlled drug room, two -20 freezers, two -70 freezers, two 2-8 refrigerators
• On-site ECG, DEXA and X-Ray
• 3 Tesla MRI
• PET Scans
• Emergency equipment/crash cart on site
• Back-up power supply (business systems and hospital systems)
• Access to state-of-the-art diagnostic services and medical equipment
• Climate-controlled record archival

John E. Ervin, MD, FACP, FACR
President and Medical Director

Founder and Medical Director, Dr. John E. Ervin, received his medial degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine.  There he completed a Residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology. 

Dr. Ervin is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and is ISCD certified in bone densitometry.  His professional credentials include (please see CV for complete list):

• Founding Member and immediate past President of the Alliance for Multispecialty Research
• Past President of the Society of Principal Investigators
• Member of the American Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Investigators (AAPPI)
• Authored the first ever editorial for the quarterly bulletin of the AAPP
• Planning Committee Member of The AAPP, 2002-2003
• Member of the Osteoarthritis Research Society
• Member of the Association of Clinical Pharmacology
• Fellow of the American College of Physicians
• Founding Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology
• President of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Associates, 1997-2007
• President of Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Associates, 2007-2009
• Employee Health Physician for Saint Joseph Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri, 1981-Present
• St. Joseph Medical Center "Premier Physician" as selected by hospital staff, 2008
• Awarded Kansas City's Rheumatology "Super Doctor" chosen by peers, 2007 and 2008
• Awarded "Patients' Choice" recognition, given to less than 5% of doctors nation-wide, 2008
• For a complete list, please request CV by emailing newstudy@ervinmd.com

• Use a central IRB
• Access to local IBC, as requested by sponsor

At the Center for Pharmaceutical Research, we realize that our subjects are volunteers and we treat them as honored guests.  In an exit survey, our subjects indicate over 95% satisfaction with their previous studies and over 90% request to be considered for future studies.

Our coordinators take time to know their subjects personally.  Because of their efforts, volunteer retention is extremely high and previous participants refer many of our new study volunteers.

Our patient recruitment subsidiary, PharmAsyst, develops a recruitment plan for each study and pre-screens subjects by phone.  PharmAsyst's practiced expertise focuses our recruitment efforts and ensures efficient, effective use of the sponsor's recruitment investment.  As a result, the Center for Pharmaceutical Research consistently over-enrolls in most studies.

Our most effective volunteer recruitment tools include:

• Research database of over 16,000 patients
• Affilitate private practice databases with over 30,000 subjects.  Databases include pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric volunteers
• Quarterly newsletter to databases
• Online advertising including email blasts and behavioral targeting ads

At the Center for Pharmaceutical Research we believe that top-notch performance in clinical trials begins with exceptional employee training.  Our comprehensive training programs for our staff and patients ensure that each study is conducted with excellence and that each patient is equipped for compliance with study requirements.  The result:  an excellent clinical trial experience for the volunteers and timely, clean date for our sponsors.  Our staff education curriculum includes the following:

• 6-month orientation plan with mentor
• NIH training
• Monthly group training
• GCP/ICH training
• Study start-up training, including a mock visit
• Comprehensive Working Guidelines for all site processes

To maintain accuracy, all equipment is calibrated annually, or more frequently by sponsor request.  Our state-of-the-art facility includes the following equipment:

• EKG Machine (with high-speed internet and analog phone line access)

• Two -20 Freezers

• Two -70 Freezers

• Two 2 -8 Freezers

• Crash Cart

• 3 Centrifuges, including a refrigerated centrifuge process

• Adjacent to St. Joseph Medical Center and all diagnostics testing and equipment on campus including:  

  • 1.5 Tesla MRI

  • 3.0 Tesla MRI

  • Cardiac Stress Test

  • CT Scan

  • X-Ray

  • Mammography

  • PET

  • Spirometry

  • Sleep Lab

  • And all other routine tests available at full-service medical centers.