Clinical trials are an integral and essential part of the drug development process. Each and every week, researchers across the country work closely with study participants to understand the effects of newly-developed medications. Once documented information is gathered, Researchers are able to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the new medication or treatment. The data that is produced in the successful studies eventually yields medications that are sold to the public. In short, these trials are the testing grounds for the future therapies available to the American public, and the medications that help improve drug management.
Here are a few ways that clinical trials are shaping the future of modern medicine:
Clinical research requires sophisticated and comprehensive testing in collaboration with communities that are affected by a given disease or illness. With this data, researchers are better able to treat or cure disease and illness.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Only through clinical research can we gain insights and answers about the safety and effectiveness of drugs and therapies. Groundbreaking scientific advances in the present and the past were possible only because of the participation of clinical research volunteers, both healthy and those with preexisting conditions.” Without clinical research, many scientific advances simply would not exist.
Clinical trials may help researchers identify superior intervention methods, which can contribute to increased patient life expectancy. The technologies that researchers test may offer doctors a better understanding or method of measuring a patient’s wellbeing. Unique alternatives can be developed for different ages, genders, ethnicities, genetic profile. Additionally alternatives are in the works for chronic or acute conditions, and for different co-occurring diseases.
A Quintiles article on this topic states, “Through the expedition of data sharing, improving clinicaltrials.gov, and creating linkages between Electronic Health Records (EHR) and clinical research databases, we can facilitate more rapid and accurate identification of patient recruits, which is one of the most time-consuming and high-risk steps in the trial.”
Researchers can improve patient’s disease management and quality of life by increasing knowledge surrounding medications effectiveness. According to Joan Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, CenterWatch, “Clinical trials help educate researchers and physicians on the types of treatments that work or do not work in people as well as providing different medical options for patients to consider.”
At OCRC, we offer a variety of clinical trials and research studies in which you can participate in our state-of-the-art clinical research facility. The Phase I-IV clinical trials that we specialize in the range from a few days to a few months. Additionally, we research investigational medications for pharmaceutical and biotech development. All participants receive all treatments and medical care related to the trial. Additionally, participants may be compensated for time and travel. Health insurance is never a requirement.
If you are interested in participating, please tell us a little more about yourself in the Current studies section of the home page and we will respond to you to determine your eligibility for current and future studies. Your contribution may additionally improve healthcare for future generations.
