Letvak on Clinical Research

A flourishing clinical research enterprise is critical in order to advance medical knowledge and practice for today’s patients, as well as for those in the future.  The information obtained from individual trials may be like small building blocks that contribute incrementally to medical knowledge, or they may yield significant breakthroughs. Clinical research is a collaborative enterprise and depends on the voluntary participation of patients, who may or may not derive a direct benefit from the research.  Although it is not known at the start of the trial whether the individual patient will be helped, I think it is very important that all participants understand that their generous engagement in trials will add to the growing body of medical knowledge.  Protection of the study participant’s rights, privacy and safety are paramount during the entire process and research sponsors ensure that they will have resources available to answer and address any questions or concerns as they arise.  It is through trials that patients may be able to access the newest and most promising investigative therapies.  Patients and their physicians should work together to decide if a clinical trial is the best option under the specific individual circumstances. As a hematologist-oncologist working in the pharmaceutical industry, I have often seen clinical trials provide hope and the potential for new therapies for patients whose options may be limited.   As scientific advances lead to b...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news