Let's talk medical research

When it comes to running a clinical trial, researchers have been getting creative, trading traditional processes for virtual opportunities. This has become especially apparent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). For some, hepatitis B can be a short-term illness, but for others, it can become a chronic condition that can lead to serious health issues like cirrhosis or liver cancer. The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated, which usually occurs shortly after birth.

Ulcerative colitis, a common form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is characterized by continuous inflammation of the colon. There is no known cure for ulcerative colitis and flare-ups may recur. That’s why scientists are actively researching treatments and therapies for people living with ulcerative colitis. 

Finding the right people to participate in clinical trials is no easy task, but with the right approach, sponsors can hit the sweet spot in reaching their recruitment goals. 

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare disease in which the body's immune system attacks the cells of the liver. Like other autoimmune diseases, researchers don't know what causes autoimmune hepatitis for the approximately 100,000-200,000 people living with the condition in the U.S.

With technology advancing at a rapid pace, clinical trial sponsors and sites have been forced to rethink the avenues they use to optimize clinical trials. This has become especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic — for clinical trials to stay on track, they have to adopt new ways of conducting research while maintaining data integrity and patient safety. At the same time, patient ...

A flare-up is the reappearance of disease symptoms. And for people living with ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), flare-ups can be unpredictable, lasting hours, days, or weeks. 

The 10th anniversary of DPharm, a conference that brings clinical research professionals together to share innovations in the clinical trials field, looked a little different than previous years. Due to COVID-19, the gathering happened online, and much of the focus was on navigating the clinical trials arena in light of the pandemic.

Biliary tract cancer (which includes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer) is a rare form of cancer that develops in the bile duct system, which connects the liver, gallbladder, and small intestine, moving bile to the small intestine.

By some estimations, 80% of clinical trials are delayed or closed because researchers can’t find enough patients to take part in their clinical trials. This, of course, means that trial sponsors are losing money and sites are wasting time screening ineligible patients. But, it also means that countless patients continue to wait for new and potentially better treatment options.