Have you or a loved one suffered from a health condition with few or even no treatment options? Our health is our most important asset, yet chronic diseases continue to threaten and affect quality and longevity of life. In our Florida communities, nearly one quarter of seniors are living with cardiovascular disease, half a million have Alzheimer’s disease and one in 12 adults suffers from asthma.
Our greatest hope to discover new treatments – and someday cures – for these diseases is research, which requires people participate in clinical trials. Unfortunately, less than 10 percent of Americans enroll in clinical trials. The inVentiv Health Miami Clinic, a research center that opened in 2016 at the University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park, wants to change this by educating people about clinical trials and promoting the importance and value of participation.
A clinical trial is a study in which select participants receive a specific treatment to assess if it may be beneficial to patients. These studies might test a new medication to treat the symptoms or slow the progression of a disease, or test new uses for older medications. Clinical trials typically involve four phases, starting with Phase I, where researchers evaluate the safety, dosage and any side effects of the investigational medication.
Early stage research previously tested a small group of healthy volunteers without a particular disease. More recently, it has expanded to include those living with the disease being researched, too – making these patients among the first to receive promising experimental treatments. For people with chronic diseases, this is significant because it means therapies can move more quickly through the development process, providing patients with faster access to innovative treatments.
“Clinical trials have revolutionized medicine, giving us therapeutic innovations that have dramatically improved patients’ lives. Right here in Miami, we are conducting important early research to find tomorrow’s treatment breakthroughs. Whether you are healthy or living with a chronic disease, everyone can play an important role in research to help current patients and future generations,” said Dr. David Wyatt, Vice President of Medical Affairs at the inVentiv Health Miami Clinic.
inVentiv Health explores promising treatments in diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases to asthma, hypertension and obesity. The company has helped to develop or commercialize 82 percent of all novel drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the last five years.
While participating in research may seem intimidating, the process is designed to protect people helping to discover treatments. Every trial undergoes a rigorous process to design the study. People who qualify may receive – at no cost to them – investigational treatment, study-related care from a local study doctor and reimbursement for travel expenses. The needs of participants come first in a clinical trial, and researchers work hard to make sure they feel comfortable and supported throughout the clinical trial process.
The vast majority of people who have participated in clinical trials feel great satisfaction that they may be helping people to live longer, better lives. Are you interested in learning how you can also play a key role in advancing medical science through early research? Do you want to help local researchers find new treatments for a wide range of chronic diseases? If your answer to these questions is yes, please visit www.inventivhealthmiami.com for more information.
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