You’ve heard the saying, “not every hero wears a cape.” It’s true, there are heroes all around us, in plain clothes, but with an extraordinary superpower. While not everyone can participate in research, clinical trial heroes stand for those who can’t.
Why Clinical Trials are Important
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the realization of the importance of research is more apparent now more than ever. Simply put, clinical research is the heart of all medical advances. Every day, researchers look at new ways to prevent, detect or treat disease. These potential options come in all different forms. They may be:
- New drugs
- Combination of drugs
- New surgical procedures or devices
- New ways to use existing treatments
The goal of clinical research trials is to evaluate if a new test or drug treatment is effective, safe, and improves the quality of life for people with chronic illness.
Clinical Trial Volunteers
Clinical trials use study volunteers and go through four phases before seeking FDA approval for public use. The participants in clinical studies are vital to this process and play various roles during each phase:
- I: Researchers test the safety of the product or therapeutic method on healthy volunteers. This phase helps to determine the dosage.
- II: Evaluates the new therapy for safety and effectiveness in volunteers with the condition.
- III: This compares the investigational treatment and what is currently in use in patient volunteers.
- IV: This phase follows the drug after it is licensed and approved by the FDA. The purpose is to track its safety and gain more information about its risks, benefits, and optimal use once released to the public.
Why Study Volunteers are Heroes
Since the inception of clinical research trials, medical breakthroughs have made it possible to eradicate diseases, transplant organs, and improve lives all over the globe. Clinical trial volunteers are the unsung heroes in each of these advancements.
People choose to participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons:
- To help others and contribute to scientific discovery
- Because a chronic condition runs in their family and they want to improve the healthcare for future generations.
- Some with illnesses wish to receive the newest treatment and additional care and attention from the expert clinical trial staff managing their condition.
We Need Clinical Trial Heroes
Regardless of the reason, participants of all backgrounds are needed. For instance, some conditions are more prevalent within specific populations. Clinical trials need you no matter your age, race, gender, or background!
Women’s Health Care Research is looking for women to help advance options for conditions prevalent in females. Call us at (858) 505-8672 or explore our list of enrolling studies and application details on our website TODAY!
Sources:
https://www.sanofi.com/en/science-and-innovation/stories/clinical-trials-can-make-anyone-a-hero