Not Worried About Scurvy? Thank Clinical Trial Pioneers

Industry celebrates clinical trials and its past, present and future on May 20

For many, the unsung heroes of the life-saving drugs and therapies developed over the past century have been the researchers and clinical trial participants who made those innovations possible.

That’s one reason why Clinical Trials Day is going to be especially notable this year. The remarkable speed and effort the industry undertook to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has helped propel understanding and awareness of the importance and role of clinical trials.

Created by The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and celebrated May 20, Clinical Trials Day is intended to recognize the people who conduct clinical trials and to say “thanks” for what they do every day to improve public health. 

The History Behind Clinical Trials

There’s a fascinating history behind the genesis of clinical research, going back hundreds of years.  According to the ACRP’s Clinical Trial’s Day website, the first randomized clinical trial started on the HMS Salisbury of Britain’s Royal Navy, on May 20, 1742.  Like many of his time, the ship’s captain, James Lind, was concerned about the impact of scurvy on sailors.  The ailment killed more British sailors than in its wars against France and Spain.

According to the ACRP’s Clinical Trials Day Website – clinicaltrialsday.org – Lind was determined to find a solution.  The website notes  . . .

He divided two men to each of six different daily treatments for a period of fourteen days. The six treatments were: 1.1 litres of cider; twenty-five millilitres of elixir vitriol (dilute sulphuric acid); 18 millilitres of vinegar three times throughout the day before meals; half a pint of sea water; two oranges and one lemon continued for six days only (when the supply was exhausted); and a medicinal paste made up of garlic, mustard seed, dried radish root and gum myrrh. Those allocated citrus fruits experienced “the most sudden and good visible effects,” according to Lind’s report on the trial.

And with those simple yet transformative steps, a treatment for scurvy was discovered and a once devastating disease was soon all but eradicated within the British Navy and beyond.

There’s a lot more than history to take note of for Clinical Trials Day.  Researchers continue to evolve how they approach everything from technology to participant recruitment.  For example, the ACRP estimates that “40% of clinical trials fail to meet recruitment goals.” There’s also a growing awareness that trial participants need to recruit from a more diverse and representative population of participants

Net Health’s Clinical Research Focuses on Technology & Recruitment

Technology and recruitment are two areas specifically addressed by Net Health’s Clinical Research program for Wound Care. The clinical trials we develop for sponsors utilize and tap into our connections with leading wound care providers and the patients they treat to ensure a truly diverse and representative patient population.  Plus, our mobile e-clinical platform offers a seamless and integrated experience that facilitates images, video, and data capture, virtually helping to make clinical trials more efficient for sponsors and more engaging for participants.

We at Net Health want to reach out on May 20 and throughout the year to say thank you to the researchers, participants, and others in the clinical trials industry working to help develop new drugs, devices, and services. Your dedication is not only needed; it is very much appreciated.

For more information on ACRP’s Clinical Trials Day – visit https://www.clinicaltrialsday.org/

“Reflecting on a Challenging Year”…

And while we are on the topic of Clinical Trials, be sure to check out this article from a leading publication in LIfe Sciences, XTalks that quotes the author of this blog, Nico O’Kuinghttons, VP of Clinical Trials for Tissue Analytics, a Net Health company. Check out the article: Clinical Trials Day 2021: Reflecting on a Challenging Year that’s Made the Industry Stronger.

Learn how Net Health’s Clinical Research programs can help wound care researchers develop and implement clinical trials for today.

Why New Approaches to Wound Care Clinical Trials Are Here to Stay

E-Book Explores Clinical Trial Industry’s Most Exciting Innovation in Years

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