There is currently no cure for any type of
arthritis. However, there are many effective treatments. Through
much research and clinical trials. Before any drug makes it to
market it goes through a series of clinical trials. In this section
you will learn about clinical trials and how you can participate in
one.
Find out more about clinical trials.
What is a Clinical Trial?
Types of Trials
Why should I enter a Clinical Trial?
How do I Participate in a Clinical Trial?
Current Clinical trials
A clinical trial is a research study
conducted with patients who have been diagnosed
with major illness and generally involves testing of new treatments
or finding ways of improving existing treatments. Clinical trials
are conducted all over the world in
most large hospitals in an attempt to improve treatment for many
diseases.
The main objective of a clinical trial is
to compare two or more groups of subjects,
using two or more treatment options to determine the effectiveness
of a proposed
drug or biological treatment.
Clinical trials are carefully and
ethically designed to allow truthful and precise
collection and analysis of information to find out more about a
disease.
Such trials help discover whether a promising new treatment is safe
and effective,
as well as giving a better understanding of the current standard
treatment,
in the hope of improving the side effects experienced by many
patients.
Phase II trials involve larger numbers of
patients and test the effectiveness
of a treatment given in a particular dose.
Phase III trials are full-scale controlled
examinations of new drugs or
treatments and are designed to more fully explore the potential
benefits and
risks of the treatment under study. Often, the standard or current
treatment is
compared to a newer and potentially better treatment. This trial is
a randomised
trial, meaning the treatment is chosen at random- neither the
patient nor the
doctor can decide which treatment the patient will receive. This
ensures an equal
number of patients are allocated to each treatment and removes any
bias the
doctor or patient may have to one treatment or another.
Phase IV trials allow pharmaceutical
companies to monitor any adverse side
effects on a larger scale than Phase III studies and help clarify
other uses for
the drugs, for example, treatment of another disease.
Patients take part in clinical trials for
many reasons, usually with the hope of direct treatment benefits for
themselves. This might include a greater chance of a cure, a longer
time to live or better quality of life. Sometimes patients want to
contribute to research that will help future sufferers of the
disease.
Patients who participate in clinical
trials, in which improved results are seen, have the first chance to
benefit from these improved treatments.
Before you consent to participate in a
clinical trial, you will be given an information sheet, which
contains all the information about the trial, including the risks
and
benefits. With any form of treatment being assessed in a clinical
trial, side effects
can be experienced and this is always balanced against the benefits
of treatment.
You will also be given the opportunity to discuss the trial with
your treating doctor,
who will be able to answer any questions.
If you agree to participate you will be
asked to sign a consent form, stating that
you have read and understood the purpose of the trial and the risks
and benefits
attached to it. You are free to withdraw from the trial at any time.
All the ethical
and legal codes that apply to medical practice are carefully
followed in clinical trials.
A core focus of the orthosports is clinical
trial involvement. There are a number of trials that orthosports are
currently actively involved in; Current projects coming soon,
|