International Day Of Clinical Research

May 20 has a special place in the calendar reserved for the International Day of Clinical Trials. The initiative to add value to clinical trials stems from their great contribution to the quality and length of life around the world.

One of the data from the clinical trial is an increase in life expectancy by 10 years in Europe over the last 6 decades. In turn, mortality from HIV / AIDS has been reduced by approximately 80%.

The importance of a clinical trial is therefore to reduce mortality from fatal diseases. Therefore, in our journey today, we will discover history and indicate the benefits for society of these celebrations. We will indicate the goals set by the International Day of Clinical Trials and how to best support them.

History of clinical trials

The story is closely related to the choice of May 20 as the International Day of Clinical Trials. Before we know its origin, we need to clarify a certain term. A clinical trial is defined as the evaluation or experimental testing of a certain substance, product, drug, or treatment technique to determine its degree of effectiveness.

So, to see how clinical research was born, we have to go back to the 18th century. It was then that British physician James Lind set the path in this field. Initially, Lind decided to find a cure for scurvy, a disease that ravaged the sailors of the British Navy.

The decisive moment came when Lind was assigned as surgeon on the HMS Salisbury frigate . After eight weeks, scurvy – about which there was little information at the time – began to hit the crew hard. This prompted the invention of an Edinburgh-born physician to study the crew and validate his theory of acid action.

Among the measures Lind has taken to conduct his research, the following can be mentioned:

• He divided 12 sick sailors into six pairs.
• He provided a variety of supplements in the diets of each couple, using lemon, orange, cider, vinegar, and dilute sulfuric acid.

• He controlled the process variables.
• He assessed the patients’ improvement.
• He drew conclusions from the evolution of the disease in 2 patients who had lemon and an orange in their diets.

Clinical trials and their benefits for society

The advantages of analyzes carried out as part of clinical trials are very broad. However, the most important benefits for society of clinical trials can be seen in the list below:

• They improve the life expectancy of the world’s population.
• They reduce expenses resulting from poorly selected treatment methods.
• They reduce the possible side effects of drugs.
• Alternative methods of preventing or treating disease are increasing in number.

• They increase knowledge about rare diseases.

International Clinical Research Day and its celebration

The celebration of the International Clinical Research Day was initiated in 2005 by the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN ) . May 20 was chosen as the date to commemorate the famous and famous initiative by James Lind in 1747.

Likewise, the overall aims of the event include awareness-raising, visibility, recognition and communication of the importance of a clinical trial for the quality and life expectancy of people. In addition, there is a specific target for 2021 that focuses on disseminating accurate test data on the adaptive platform.

This type of clinical trial gives the opportunity to compare different types of treatment through a single control. The European Commission believes that this is a viable way to combat epidemics and pandemics. In this way, the International Clinical Research Day 2021 has set itself the goal of dispelling doubts such as:

• What are the primary goals of the test on the platform?
• Which parameters should be included in the design, statistical plan and data management?
• How should political and ethical issues as well as patient involvement be addressed?
• What kinds of management, economic and management problems may arise when using this test model?

Events organized by the International Day of Clinical Trials

Some of the initiatives for the day include:

• ICTD 2021 Virtual Conference: Platform Testing: A Change in Treatment, Testing and Collaboration.

• Virtual expert conferences showing research phases (basic, preclinical and clinical research).
• Donation campaigns and involvement of various companies in the course of a clinical trial.
• A symposium on research infrastructures in Latin America and Europe (held after International Clinical Research Day, June 15-17, but with related objectives).

How can I participate?

The ways to participate are related to social networks, through the use of official resources for profile pictures, posters, photos, messages of support for the work done and more. All of this with the tags # CTD2021 and #clinicaltrialsday.

In addition, there are recruiting platforms and programs that allow individuals who intend to take an initiative to become volunteers. The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA ) provides online testing and certification.

International Clinical Trial Day to live better

Finally, it is worth adding that obtaining information from official sources drives the greatest dynamics shaping the development of clinical trials in many latitudes. In this way, it will be possible to replicate knowledge in the environment to create a chain reaction.

The role of patients who participate in trials is also essential to achieving the desired medical efficacy goals. Overall, every action counts to ensure that International Clinical Research Day is a catalyst and increases the available alternatives against diseases that continue to affect many sectors. Clinical trials save lives!