We are thrilled to announce that Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, has joined CTTI as chair of the executive committee. McClellan is a past FDA commissioner and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He currently works at the Brookings Institution. He is familiar with CTTI’s mission and work given our respective efforts to help FDA on antibacterial drug development, approval pathways, active postmarket surveillance, and other projects. We are pleased to have someone with McClellan’s experience, leadership, and passion for improving clinical trials join our effort.

We are also delighted to share that John Alexander, MD, MHS, FACC, will join the executive committee representing Duke University. Alexander has already done great work as the Duke steering committee representative, and is excited to increase his involvement at the programmatic level. As a passionate clinical trialist who has spent time working with the PMDA and MHLW in Japan, Alexander will bring that additional international perspective as well.

Historically, as founding members of CTTI, Duke and FDA have named the co-chairs of the initiative, and those same individuals have served as co-chairs of EC. We are now separating these roles: McClellan will be the chair of the EC, and Alexander will join CDR Melissa Robb as co-chairs of the initiative. The three of them will work closely together, along with executive director Pamela Tenaerts, MD, MBA, and the executive committee, to provide strategic leadership for the organization.