UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Expands OnCore to Strengthen Clinical Trials
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute has fully implemented the Advarra OnCore Clinical Trials Management System, a major investment that strengthens oversight, efficiency and growth of cancer clinical trials.
As of Dec. 4, the Cancer Institute is live with all three Advarra modules, including OnCore, Electronic Regulatory (eReg) and Electronic Data Capture (EDC), completing a phased rollout that began July 1, 2024. Approximately 150 users across the Cancer Institute and the UAMS Translational Research Institute are now using the system to manage 303 active clinical trials and track 1,127 patients enrolled in studies.
“This is a transformational step for our clinical research enterprise,” said Michael J. Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. “Clinical trials are central to our mission, and we are deeply committed to building the infrastructure to offer innovative therapies that patients need. OnCore allows us to support clinical trials at every stage more efficiently and on a scale that matches the rapid growth of our clinical trials program.”
OnCore centralizes the administration of clinical trials, helping research teams evaluate studies, manage finances, oversee regulatory compliance, streamline patient onboarding and support day-to-day trial operations. The system integrates seamlessly with Epic, UAMS’ electronic medical record system, improving coordination between clinical care and research activities.
The $2.4 million investment in OnCore, eReg and EDC, the most widely adopted clinical trials systems in the country currently used by 80% of National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer centers, places the Cancer Institute and UAMS among the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Arkansas Children’s Hospital also uses OnCore to manage its clinical trials.
“As our clinical trials portfolio has grown in both size and complexity, we needed an integrated system that could bring all aspects of our research operations together in one unified platform,” Birrer said. “OnCore streamlines workflows, optimizes efficiency and provides critical operational and administrative support for our researchers and clinical staff, allowing them to focus on what matters most — advancing science and caring for patients.”
Advarra’s eReg module streamlines the management and oversight of regulatory documents throughout the lifecycle of a clinical trial. The electronic platform securely stores and shares protocols, staff credentials and regulatory documents, improving accuracy and ensuring compliance. The EDC module supports fast, accurate data collection by providing real-time access to clinical trial data.
The expanded OnCore implementation comes as the Cancer Institute’s clinical trials program continues to grow rapidly. Over the past four years, the institute has steadily increased both the number of trials and the proportion testing interventional treatments:
- 2022: 240 total trials, with 49% treatment
- 2023: 271 trials, 60% treatment
- 2024: 284 trials, 67% treatment
- Current YTD 2025: 303 active trials, 70% treatment
Of the 1,127 patients currently enrolled in clinical trials, 396 are participating in interventional treatment trials testing novel therapies.
The Cancer Institute houses the state’s only Phase 1 Cancer Clinical Trials Unit and is a member of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Children’s Oncology Group and NRG Oncology — all National Cancer Institute-supported organizations within the U.S. National Clinical Trials Network.
“This growth reflects a deliberate strategic realignment towards high-priority research areas, including difficult-to-treat solid tumors and early-phase trials testing novel immunotherapies, cellular therapies, biologics and bispecific antibodies,” Birrer said. “Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in these high-impact studies, and academic cancer centers like ours play a central role in bringing these therapies from the lab to the clinic.”
Nationally, clinical trials continue to drive progress in cancer care. In 2024 alone, more than 43,000 new cancer clinical trials were registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. That same year, the FDA approved more than 60 new oncology therapies, including 11 first-in-class drugs, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.
“Every cancer therapy is built on the foundation of clinical trials,” Birrer said. “By strengthening our clinical trials infrastructure, we are becoming the leading institution shaping the future of cancer care in Arkansas.”
The UAMS Translational Research Institute, funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health, is the primary user of OnCore, eReg and EDC outside of the Cancer Institute.
“OnCore provides the integrated infrastructure we need to dramatically expand clinical research across UAMS,” said Laura James, M.D., director of the Translational Research Institute. “The system allows us to track the success of our ongoing trials and prepare for the future, as we monitor clinical trial efficiency and evaluate new growth opportunities.”