Participating in Clinical Trials Is Important: Here’s How You Can Help

Hundreds of thousands of people are alive today because other people chose to participate in clinical trials.  The more people that participate, the faster critical research questions can be answered and the faster a product of procedure can become available to those who desperately need it.  Like me, I’m sure you’ve heard of friends or family members desperately seeking a certain medication or treatment but who are unable to get it because the clinical trials have not been completed and the FDA is unable to release it.

Only 5% of adults participate in clinical trials while 60% of children under the age of 15 do.  This is one reason that survival rates for childhood cancer have increased so dramatically.*

But clinical trials are hard to fill and many are delayed or even cancelled due to lack of participation. There are many reasons for this but the number one reason people give for not participating in clinical trials is that they were unaware a trial existed.  This is why I decided to become a Cure click advisory board member – to help spread the word about clinical trials.

What is a clinical trial and how does it work? 

Basically, clinical trials are created to answer three important questions: 1. Does the new treatment work in humans  2. Is it safe and 3.  Do the side-effects outweigh the benefits?

Each new medication or treatment requires several different trials that are grouped into phases. There are three (or usually more) phases before a new treatment is considered safe and effective.  Before a trial even begins, the treatment must be created, purified, described and tested in labs (cell and animal testing) and then it is finally ready for clinical trials.

Per Cancer.org, “on average a new cancer drug has been studied for over six years before making it to clinical trial”.

Other reasons that clinical trials aren’t filled are that some would-be participants don’t meet the requirements; others are uncomfortable with being a volunteer and still others worry about harm. Although there have been very rare instances where a person has been harmed, a clinical trial is only begun once the new treatment is considered safe for human testing so they are relatively free of concern.

Below is a list of Cure Click clinical trials currently enrolling new participants.  Check them out to see if one might be a fit for you or someone you know.

Severe Asthma Phase 3 – The purpose of this research study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of the investigational drug when administered in severe asthma patients whose symptoms are otherwise uncontrolled with current standard therapy.

Mild to Moderate Asthma Phase 3 – This study is for patients who have mild or moderate asthma and are using a reliever inhaler. If approved, it is hoped that the study drug will improve your lung function and overall symptoms of asthma.

Type 2 Diabetes Phase 3 –  This research study is evaluating a new investigational medicine for people with type 2 diabetes, who are not currently on any diabetes medication. The study medicine is being evaluated to see if it can improve the management of type 2 diabetes by reducing blood sugar levels.
High cholesterol and risk factors for heart disease Phase 3 – This study evaluates the PCSK9 inhibitor, Bococizumab compared to placebo, in reducing the occurrence of major cardiovascular events, including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and unstable angina requiring urgent revascularization, in high risk subjects who are receiving background lipid lowering therapy and have cholesterol lab values of LDL = 70 or non-HDL-C 100.

Previously Treated Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer  Phase 3 – This study is for patients with Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer who have already been treated with chemotherapy. The purpose of this study is to compare the new investigational medicine versus the standard-of-care treatment with respect to life expectancy outcomes.

Please consider participating in a relevant clinical trial if one becomes available.

If you know of any other trials currently accepting new enrollment, I’d love to hear about them.  And you have previously participated in a clinical trial, I’d love to hear your experience.