FOR SPONSORS:
Apex Clinical Research Center (ACRC) is affiliated with Apex Skin, a network of 15 dermatology clinics across Northeast Ohio. We offer a high-performance, multi-site clinical trial solution designed specifically for dermatology. Our experienced research team ensures consistent processes across all locations—helping sponsors meet timelines and enrollment goals. With three dedicated, fully staffed research sites and a single point of contact, we streamline budgets, startups, and regulatory submissions. Our EMR-integrated tools allow us to quickly and accurately prescreen and identify eligible participants.
Each ACRC research site has fully dedicated research staff and is equipped with an on-site laboratory and pharmacy, private patient rooms, continuous temperature monitoring, safety equipment and supplies, secured storage, and private monitoring space. Our research team is highly experienced in routine patient care and protocol adherence, delivering reliable, high-quality trial execution at every step.
What are the benefits of partnering with Apex Clinical Research Center?
- Dermatology network of over 45 dermatologist providers, collectively seeing over 20,000 patients per month – giving your protocol a jumpstart in recruitment.
- Rapid study start-up timelines, frequently selected as a “priority site.”
- Screening within 3 days of activation, plus a low screen failure rate.
- Data entry within 24 hours of visit.
- Meet or exceed enrollment goals across 90% of studies, including phase l and rare conditions.
- Best-in-class recruitment across all sites, powered by local relationships and digital outreach.
- Standardized SOPs across all research locations for consistency and compliance.
- Unified IT infrastructure, including CTMS and eReg platforms.
- Bilingual Staff.
- Successfully conducted trials across multiple dermatologic indications, including psoriasis, acne, eczema, rosacea, alopecia, and more.
See What Smarter Trial Support Looks Like
Download the case study to see how our approach can support your trial’s success.
Principal Investigator Jorge Garcia-Zuazaga, MD, MBA, FAAD, FACMS
Dr. Garcia-Zuazaga founded Apex Clinical Research Center in 2019. After spending the previous 10 years expanding Apex Skin and Surgery, he realized the need to offer clinical research to our patients across Northeast Ohio. Our Apex Skin patients are seen across 15 clinics with over 45 dermatology providers to choose from. Many were either underinsured or looking for new therapies to help with their dermatological conditions. Simultaneously, the pharmaceutical research networks were asking Jorge Garcia-Zuazaga, MD if he would be interested in helping with their respective research pipelines. It didn’t take long to realize this as an opportunity to get more involved- both in treating patients and offering the option of research to those who qualified. Soon, leading pharmaceutical companies were reaching out and Apex Clinical Research Center came to fruition.
Jorge Garcia-Zuazaga, MD is an entrepreneur and leader in both the medical and biomedical engineering fields. His experiences in life and education have contributed to his love for research and helping others. Having served as a top-flight surgeon in the U.S. Naval Academy, a contributor to the advancement of heart valves in biomedical engineering, and a fellow surgeon at top universities across the U.S., as well as a business-minded dermatologist with an MBA from Weatherhead, Jorge Garcia-Zuazaga, MD role as a quality Principal Investigator came as no surprise.
Current Studies
Apex Clinical Research Center conducts dermatology clinical trials across a range of chronic inflammatory skin conditions, including alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, plaque psoriasis, chronic urticaria, vitiligo, prurigo nodularis, and palmoplantar pustulosis.
Our portfolio includes both marketed and investigational therapies across multiple modalities—including topical, oral, injectable, and IV treatments—spanning Phase I through IV trials.
We support studies in both adult and pediatric populations, with active recruitment across our sites. Our current and recent studies span the following dermatologic indications:
Three Locations. One Standard of Excellence.
Apex Clinical Research Center operates out of three dedicated research sites in Mayfield Heights, Canton, and Lorain, Ohio. With a combined reach across a population of more than 20,000 potential participants, our locations are positioned to support broader recruitment and greater accessibility—helping sponsors move trials forward with speed and confidence. Each site is fully equipped to deliver consistent, high-quality research across therapeutic areas.
Our Facilities Include:
- Ambient
- 2-8 degree C refrigerators
- -20 degree C freezer
- -70 degree C freezer
Refrigerated and ambient centrifuge
Dry ice storage
ECG
Annually calibrated vital monitoring equipment
Emergency medicine kit including epinephrine and an AED
Onsite pharmacy
Onsite Laboratory
3+ private patient rooms
Locked storage
Private monitoring space
Research Experience:
- Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) for adults and children
- Psoriasis for adults and children (various locations)
- Hidradenitis Suppurativa
- Gorlin Syndrome
- Pyoderma Gangrenosum
- Lichen Planus
- Vitiligo
- Prurigo Nodularis
- Alopecia
- Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Seborrheic Keratosis
- Palmoplantar Pustulosis (PPP)
- Chronic Urticaria
Contact us to learn how Apex Clinical Research Center can support your next study while ensuring every patient is accounted for.
Apex Clinical Research Center Locations
Mayfield Heights | Corporate Office
29111 Cedar Rd.
Mayfield Hts., OH 44124
Canton
4124 Munson St., NW,
Canton, OH 44718
Lorain
6150 Park Square Dr., Ste. B
Lorain, OH 44053