Importance of Investigational Studies

Are you hesitant to take part in a clinical trial because you question its benefits to yourself or others? Those are valid concerns, but rest assured. Investigational studies are not only important, but a necessity to determine the effectiveness of various drugs and treatments. The benefits are staggering.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the death rate from heart disease was cut in half from 1980-2000. This article discussed that the decline can be attributed to advancements in medicine. How were those advancements in medicine brought about? Investigational studies! Imagine how far we have come since this article was published in 2010.

Think of polio, a disease that absolutely terrified the populace before a widespread investigational study brought us Jonas Salk’s famous vaccine. What could have been a disastrous epidemic was basically eliminated. Thousands of lives were saved due to the studies conducted!

Unfortunately, illnesses and diseases are constantly changing and evolving, which further supports the need for ongoing research. Some treatment methods that have worked well in the past are no longer effective. Researchers are constantly turning to investigational studies to find new means of fighting against these ever-changing diseases.

On a smaller scale, many drugs, even those that have been on the market for decades, can be risky. We have all seen medicine commercials that go through a laundry list of side effects. Ongoing investigational studies on these drugs can determine how alterations can be made to eliminate risks and maximize effectiveness.  

What’s the take home message? 

It is important to keep in mind all research is important, regardless the outcome.  Some trials end and the drugs are not found to be effective. However, we still learn more about the disease which means we have better chance at success in the next trial. The important thing to remember is that no matter the outcome, we have increased our understanding and how to improve the drug and or the disease in the future.

By staying on top of the latest developments, researchers can work to improve care with the goal of improving and saving more lives.

Investigational studies have made treatments more effective and decreased or eliminated side effects. In short, studies have a proven track record of saving and improving the lives of thousands upon thousands of people. Would you like to be a part of this progress? Are you the missing piece? Give Clinvest Research a call today.