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Paula Hardeman , Physician Assistant
Your Guide to MS Clinical Trials
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Sponsored by Sanofi
21 Nov 2024 | ~4:22 Engagement Time
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Participating in clinical trials is essential and necessary. First, it allows scientists and researchers to bridge the knowledge of what is seen in the laboratory (bench) to what is seen in the patient (bedside).
Clinical trials help advance medical knowledge about a disease or condition and improve patient outcomes by evaluating different interventions, such as new medications or drug combinations, new ways of using old treatments, new surgical techniques, or new medical devices. In addition, clinical trials can examine health behaviors and ways to improve the quality of life for people with a specific condition or disease. According to the Alliance for Aging Research, clinical trials are often under-enrolled. In 2017, 37% of clinical trials did not enroll enough patients to move forward, and 11% failed to enroll one patient.¹
Deciding to participate in clinical trials is a personal choice. It is voluntary, and people choose to join for various reasons, such as to help their loved ones or others and contribute to moving science forward.
Did you know, you do not need to have the disease or condition being researched to participate in clinical trials? All forms of clinical trials may use healthy volunteers, which allows more people to participate and contribute to science. For instance, healthy volunteers can participate in intervention trials or trials to examine a new drug or treatment, allowing researchers to understand the potential risks or side effects better. Behavioral or observational trials will use healthy volunteers to learn how to prevent a disease or condition. Imagine being part of a clinical trial that could lead the way to a groundbreaking cure!
Volunteers with a particular disease or condition may choose to participate in clinical trials to access the latest treatment, especially if they have failed all other treatments. In addition, because clinical trials are closely monitored, many participants enjoy the extra specialized care they receive from medical professionals. This may lead to better disease management and improved outcomes.² Participants can also better understand their disease state or condition.
Finally, having a chronic condition can be expensive. Some clinical trials offer financial compensation, and people may choose to participate in clinical trials to offset some out-of-pocket expenses or have access to reduced–cost or free medications or treatments.
While clinical trials are relatively safe and must follow strict rules and guidelines of multiple regulatory agencies, they also have some risks and downsides.
For example, the new medication or treatment could cause adverse side effects. These risks will be reviewed before starting the clinical trial.
Also, participants could be assigned to a group that is the control group and not receive the new drug or treatment that is being studied. This is usually called the placebo group.
Finally, clinical trials can require more frequent visits to your healthcare provider or travel to additional facilities. Thus, clinical trials can be time-consuming and cause participants to miss work or be away from home.
Here are some things to consider before participating in a clinical trial:
Participating in clinical trials allows people to give back to science by advancing medical knowledge. It also offers people a unique opportunity to be exposed to cutting–edge treatments. Clinical trials can be searched online through clinicaltrials.gov, checking our clinical trials topic guide, or by asking your healthcare provider.
