Heidelberg University Hospital (UKL-HD) with its 43 specialized clinical departments is one of the leading medical centers in Europe and part of the oldest German University, It is closely linked to Heidelberg University Medical School which was founded in 1388 and is thus the oldest within the Federal Republic of Germany.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients from all over Germany and many other countries come here to make use of our modern treatment facilities. UKL-HD and the Medical Faculty together pursue a common aim: the development of new methods of diagnosis and treatment at the forefront of biomedical science for the benefit of all patients.
Research at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg and Heidelberg University Hospital means close relation between laboratory work and medical care, swift transfer of new insights into clinical trials, modern teaching in step with actual practice, and well-directed promotion of young researchers. It is characterized by a high degree of multidisciplinary collaboration beyond the boundaries of departments and institutes, especially in basic and clinical research.
Three departments of Heidelberg University Hospital participate in PRESTIGE-AF and support the project through their long standing expertise, namely the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, which is the largest university based clinical pharmacology department in Germany, the Department of Neurology, and Heidelberg University Hospital Pharmacy.
The Department of Neurology will support organization and coordination of the clinical trial with a focus on the clinical centers in Germany. The manufacturing unit of the Pharmacy will be responsible for GCP labeling and supply of medication for all clinical study centers, and will distribute it throughout Europe for the whole length of the project.
In order to explain variability in drug effectiveness the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology will investigate patient adherence and quantify drug exposure in the clinical trial. With regard to adherence, questionnaires will be distributed to the patients, collected, and interpreted at UKL-HD.
In a parallel line of investigation, exposure with direct oral anticoagulants in the individual patient will be determined over time, using dried blood spot tests and ultrasensitive state of the art analysis techniques.
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