Every year, May 20th is celebrated as International Clinical Trials Day. On this day organizations that are involved in the fields of science and medicine hold events to promote education and awareness about the importance and value of clinical trials. All potential medications for rare diseases and otherwise must prove their safety and effectiveness before they are able to be used by the public.
Clinical trials were first pioneered hundreds of years ago, and ever since, they have been evolving and improving in a variety of ways. Today, there is a healthy debate as to how to make clinical trials more efficient and useful. Trials often must be catered to the characteristics of the diseases and therapies that are involved. Researchers and patient advocates have also been working to make clinical trials more accessible to patients, which can be a matter of life and death for patients with rare disease that have run out of options.
This year, the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) will be highlighting Clinical Trials Day in several different ways. For every week of the month, CISCRP will be sharing BITS (benefits, infographics, trials, and stories) on their social media pages. This will help spread information about clinical trials, highlight their value, and share firsthand clinical trial experiences. If you would like to follow the organization’s social media accounts to keep up, links to them all can be found here.
If you are a resident of the Los Angeles area, you also will have the opportunity to attend a free community event organized by CISCRP on May 19th called AWARE for All. This event will feature free refreshments and health screenings. Participants will also enjoy talks from trial volunteers and researchers, as well as inspirational speeches from local celebrities. To RSVP for this event, click here.
LA residents will also have access to the Journey to Better Health mobile unit, which will be traveling around the LA area from April 28th to May 12th. The unit will feature an interactive exhibit that will help educate the public about clinical trials.
