MSU College of Veterinary Medicine names new director of veterinary clinical trials

Michigan State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine has appointed Daniel Langlois, BS, DVM, DACVIM, to director of its Clinical Innovations Program (CLIP). This program connects patients, clients, and industry partners with MSU Veterinary Medical Center clinicians and scientists aiming to enhance outcomes in animal, human, and environmental health.¹

Daniel Langlois, BS, DVM, DACVIM.

The idea of clinical trials and working with client-owned animals rather than lab animals is that they help researchers better understand diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes and increase genetic diversity.¹ According to Science, only 11% of oncology drugs that work in mice are ever approved for people however, because humans and animals live in similar environments, they are more prone to the same diseases.² Thus, this helps for finding more medical advancements from clinical trials that benefit both animals and people, which is the kind of research that CLIP helps facilitate.

“Langlois brings extensive experience as a boarded internist and a scientist,” said Srinand Sreevatsan, BVSC, MVSC, MPH, PhD, associate dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine.¹ “His experience in clinical trials and translational research makes him an ideal candidate for CLIP directorship.”

In his new role, Langlois will oversee finances, the Clinical Trial Review Board and environmental health and safety protocols; liaise with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; help clinicians create proper regulatory protocols; collaborate with clinicians to develop case definitions to help market trials; report all new trial proposals to the hospital director for consideration; and serve as an industry liaison for research collaboration and sponsorship.¹

According to the release, Langlois has conducted research in endocrinology centered on improving diagnostics and treatments for canine and feline adrenal gland disorders. His work on liver disease has covered copper-associated hepatitis and has included studies with the goal to understand the contributions of diet and genetics to etiology and enhance existing treatment protocols.

Langlois achieved his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Louisiana State University and started working for the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013.

References

1. Langlois named director of veterinary clinical trials at MSU. News release. Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. September 11, 2023. September 18, 2023. https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2023/langlois-named-director-of-veterinary-clinical-trials-at-msu
2. Grimm D. Science. August 11, 2016. Accessed September 18, 2023. https://www.science.org/content/article/can-clinical-trials-dogs-and-cats-help-people