Clinical Research
Makes a Difference
Clinical research is essential for improving healthcare -- for you, your family, your community, and people everywhere. Current medical treatments exist only because of testing and safety verification via clinical trials. Research is key to discovering new and effective treatments for people from all walks of life.
Clinical research discoveries include:
Medications to treat cancer, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and other conditions.
Machines and devices to regulate or diagnose conditions accurately.
Vaccines to prevent illnesses.
If you have ever taken a medication, received a vaccine, or been prescribed the aid of a medical device, then you have benefited from the results of a clinical trial.
What's in it for Me?
Clinical research is key to improving healthcare for everyone. Your participation helps inform and improve the care you, your family, and your community receive. From preventing diseases, detecting illnesses earlier, or determining what medicine works best for different people, the results of clinical research can make all of our lives better.
By volunteering for a clinical trial, you can:
Contribute to medical advancements.
Receive access to quality health care - especially if you are uninsured, at reduced or no cost.
Receive expert care for an existing condition.
Play an active role in your own healthcare.
Gain early access to new treatments or alternative forms of care.
Know your participation is helping others.
The first person to be cured
from a disease is someone who
participated in a clinical trial.
The Highlights of
Clinical Trials
After undergoing rigorous testing, clinical research today creates life-saving medications, vaccines, and devices to prevent and treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, and many more - leading to a healthier society. Thanks to clinical trials, the following medical milestones have been achieved:
COVID-19
Researchers around the world are working tirelessly to find the best tools to fight against the COVID-19 virus and its emerging variants. Partnerships between the government, the research industry, and university researchers continue to evaluate the most promising drugs and therapies to prevent and treat the illness to keep us all safe. So far, because of COVID-19 clinical trials, more than 600,000,000 vaccines have been administered.
Cardiovascular
Disease
Pacemakers are a fairly recent discovery, used to regulate an irregular heartbeat. Now, there are about 3 million people worldwide with pacemakers. Each year, around 600,000 pacemakers are implanted. Patients without cardiovascular disease at the time of implantation have the best survival, which is comparable to the survival of the general population.
Diabetes
Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) are a game-changer. Unlike glucose meters that require a drop of blood to check blood glucose levels, CGMs monitor your levels throughout the day. This can help you and your doctor identify patterns and trends that may be helpful in fine-tuning your diabetes management.
Skin Cancer
Researchers discovered that a gene called BRAF, which assists in directing cell growth, was mutated in the majority of melanoma tumors. This led to the development of a class of life-saving drugs known as BRAF inhibitors for patients whose melanoma harbors this BRAF mutant gene.
Malaria
A malaria vaccine candidate (RTS,S) has been shown to reduce episodes of malaria by 50% in young children. The widespread use of this vaccine could help save the lives of thousands of children in Africa.
HIV
A landmark study showed that an HIV treatment can be used for prevention purposes. Truvada, an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV/AIDS, reduces the risk of acquiring HIV infection by almost 44% when taken daily by uninfected men. A final FDA decision is pending.
Lupus
Belimumab, approved by the FDA in 2011, has been shown to significantly restrict the organ damage that frequently accompanies lupus. Also, clinical trials of the asthma medication, Omalizumab, found the drug significantly reduced lupus symptoms and autoimmune activity.
Learn how clinical trials changed
these people’s lives.
Lilly and her mother Michelle
"I live in the rare disease world. Lots of changes have taken place getting drugs through the approval process quicker for rare diseases."
Tamara
"I have participated in research for years. I learn so much about my own health and have a more participating role in my care, all while helping create better health care solutions for future generations."
Preston
"Without clinical trials, we have no drugs and today we depend on drugs to balance our imperfect systems in our flesh."