At Skin Care Research, our professional team of skin care experts offers a wide range of FDA-regulated clinical trials in both medical dermatology and cosmetic dermatology. Patients often ask what’s the benefit for them in participating in these trials.
Let’s get into that in this pre-holiday blog.
What is a clinical trial?
In a clinical trial, a team of scientists or doctors employs a new medical treatment, drug, device, or method on a group of participants to test how well it works. The purpose of a clinical trial is to find a new and improved method to treat, prevent, or diagnose different types of illness.
In most cases, these trials use a drug, device, or method that is not yet available to the general population of people with that illness or condition. Special allowances are made to allow doctors to learn how the new drug/method/device works as a treatment. The tests of the trials are compared with the best results gained from current treatment methods to see if what is being tested provides better results.
Is it worth participating in a clinical trial?
The first thing to know is that only the most promising treatments make it far enough to be in clinical trials with volunteers. These new methods/drugs have been extensively tested and researched through other means, such as laboratory conditions and simulations.
Second, there are strict rules and guidelines set by the US Food and Drug Administration. These guidelines protect participants through a process called informed consent. This gives the potential participant all the information they can get about the clinical trial and if it could be right for them.
At Skin Care Research, our trials give participants access to cutting-edge new therapies that can help with the treatment of their skin condition, where other treatment options have been unsuccessful.
For some trials, participants pay nothing or very low cost for these novel treatments. This applies regardless of the participant’s health care situation. For some trials, participants receive compensation for their time and travel costs.
For many skin conditions, such as eczema, the causes are not fully understood. These clinical trials can allow patients who have been frustrated with unsuccessful treatments a chance to receive a new treatment before they could have it as a member of the general public.
Plus, participants are helping to move the needle on their skin conditions. By being a part of a trial, you’re providing necessary data that can move a new treatment closer to approval for use, and successful treatment, in the future.
Bottom line? Clinical trials at Skin Care Research can be great for participants and they can be great for the treatment of various skin care problems moving forward. If you’d like more information about our current trials and if you could be right for one of them, please give us a call at (561) 948-3116.
