Advarra Announces Cancellation of Forte Onsemble Conference in Response to COVID-19 Concerns

Advarra Announces Cancellation of Forte Onsemble Conference in Response to COVID-19 Concerns
First time the semi-annual user conference has been cancelled since originating in 2006

(MADISON, Wis., March 9, 2020) – Advarra, the premier provider of institutional review board (IRB), institutional biosafety committee (IBC), research quality and compliance consulting services, and standards-based research technology solutions from Forte, now part of Advarra, has announced today the cancellation of its 2020 Spring Onsemble Conference for clinical research operations, scheduled for March 16-19.

The Onsemble conference is a customer-exclusive event that underscores the collaborative nature of the Onsemble community and we made this decision after extensive evaluation. Advarra is committed to offering opportunities to virtually learn and connect in the coming weeks to the more than 200 attendees from 80 leading academic medical centers (AMCs), cancer centers, and health systems in the U.S.

The decision is based on recent travel advisories from health experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), state health departments, and to respect the travel policies enacted by the organizations of our valued customers in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Advarra strongly believes that the scientific research community will find rapid solutions to address the virus and our IRB is currently reviewing multiple protocols from national entities to enable COVID-19 research. In the current environment, we stand together with the industry to take the necessary steps to prevent further spread.

“While we are disappointed, our commitment to the Onsemble community is unwavering,” said Carrie Nemke, SVP of Customer Relationships for Advarra-Forte. “We are proud of the remarkable educational content that was prepared by the Onsemble community for this conference and we are confident that it will still be meaningful as virtual training. In addition, we look forward to the fall Onsemble conference in Madison, Wisconsin, October 6-9.”

Advarra would also like to express gratitude for the high-quality work that the numerous speakers, many from customer organizations, put into preparing for this year’s educational program. This valuable content highlights customer success stories in research operations, and contributes to valuable knowledge sharing within the community.

About Advarra
Advarra is the premier provider of global research compliance services, including IRB, IBC, consulting, and research technology products. Clinical trial sponsors and CROs recognize Advarra as the largest integrated provider of IRB services with the greatest institutional reach among health systems, cancer centers, academic medical centers, and investigators. Forte, now part of Advarra, is the industry’s leading provider of standards-based research technology, including OnCore CTMS. Advarra optimizes compliance and clinical trials with its robust regulatory expertise and innovative products and services. For more information, visit advarra.com and forteresearch.com.

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