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What are
clinical trials?

Clinical trials (also called clinical studies or research studies) are how researchers discover new ways to treat and prevent diseases.

Everyday medicines, like ibuprofen, were first studied in clinical trials and then approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before we could buy them at the store.

In fact, the SCD treatment hydroxyurea was approved for treatment through clinical trials.

Without going through clinical trials, there are not going to be new medications and new treatment options for the sickle cell community.
Kadeem in a brimmed hat and aviator sunglasses.

Kadeem |
Sickle Cell Warrior

Sickle cell disease discoveries

These discoveries were made possible because of people with SCD who joined clinical trials:

A child drinking a small cup of medicine.

Daily penicillin (an antibiotic) for children under age 5 with SCD can prevent serious infections, such as pneumonia

A smiling doctor and her young patient.

How to prevent strokes in children with SCD

An older woman dressed in yellow outside.

Hydroxyurea to prevent SCD-related health problems and which may improve the lifespan of people with SCD

People drive new discoveries

The only way to make sure that new medicines are safe and work well for people with SCD, is for people with SCD to join clinical trials.

A patient and doctor's hands coming together to form a heart.
A couple sitting at a desk across from a doctor.
A middle-eastern doctor reviewing information with a woman wearing a hijab.
A young patient playing pattycake with their doctor.

Many people have already volunteered to join SCD trials, but more are needed.

Many SCD trials have had to stop before researchers could learn about SCD because not enough people joined. This slows down new discoveries and can be discouraging for those who did join.

Why don’t enough people join trials?

There are many reasons why some people might hesitate to join a clinical trial, such as:

Lack of awareness about trials they could join or how to find them

Concerns about safety

Worries about possible side effects of the trial treatment

Uncertainty about what to expect during a trial

Lack of trust in the healthcare system

Assuming it will take too much time

Not knowing the benefits of joining a clinical trial

Are any of these true for you or someone you know?

¿Por qué no participan suficientes personas en los ensayos?

Hay muchas razones por las que algunas personas pueden dudar en participar en un ensayo clínico, como por ejemplo:

Falta de conocimiento sobre los ensayos en los que podrían participar o sobre cómo encontrarlos

Preocupación por la seguridad

Preocupación por los posibles efectos secundarios del tratamiento del ensayo

Incertidumbre sobre qué esperar durante un ensayo

Falta de confianza en el sistema de atención médicas

Asumir que le llevará demasiado tiempo

Desconocer las ventajas de participar en un ensayo clínico

Are any of these true for you or someone you know?

Pourquoi n’y a-t-il pas assez de personnes qui participent aux essais ?

Il existe de nombreuses raisons pour lesquelles certaines personnes peuvent hésiter à participer à un essai clinique, telles que :

Méconnaissance des essais auxquels elles pourraient participer ou de la façon de les trouver

Préoccupations liées à la sécurité

Inquiétudes concernant les effets secondaires possibles du traitement à l’essai

Incertitude quant à ce à quoi s’attendre pendant un essai

Manque de confiance dans le système de santé

Supposition que cela prendra trop de temps

Méconnaissance des avantages à participer à un essai clinique

L’une de ces raisons s’applique-t-elle à vous ou à quelqu’un que vous connaissez ?

Pourquoi les gens participent-ils aux essais cliniques ?

Les gens participent aux essais cliniques pour de nombreuses raisons, telles que :

Aider les chercheurs à mettre au point de meilleurs traitements pour les générations futures

Aider les chercheurs à en apprendre davantage sur leur maladie

Recevoir des traitements ou des médicaments qui ne sont pas
couverts par leur assurance

Recevoir des traitements ou des médicaments qui ne sont pas
couverts par leur assurance

Donner le bon exemple et inspirer les autres membres de leur communauté

Si nous ne participons pas, nous ne ferons jamais progresser la médecine.
Jacqueline in a bright red shirt looking up with her arms crossed.

Jacqueline |

Guerrera de la enfermedad de células falciformes

Dans une récente enquête menée auprès de personnes atteintes de drépanocytose, les participants ont choisi de participer à un essai clinique sur la drépanocytose pour plusieurs raisons :

La possibilité de mieux gérer leurs symptômes

La possibilité d’essayer un nouveau traitement à l’essai qui pourrait mieux fonctionner pour eux

En savoir plus\ sur la drépanocytose

Why do people join clinical trials?

People join clinical trials for many reasons, such as to:

Help researchers make better treatments for future generations

Help researchers learn more about their disease

Get treatments or medicines that aren’t covered by their insurance

Get specialized, high-quality medical care from experts

Set a good example and inspire others in their community

If we don't participate, we're never going to advance medicine.
Jacqueline in a bright red shirt looking up with her arms crossed.

Jacqueline |

Sickle Cell Warrior

In a recent survey of people with SCD, participants chose to join an SCD clinical trial for several reasons:

The potential to better manage their symptoms

The opportunity to try a new trial treatment that might work better for them

To learn more about SCD

¿Por qué las personas participan en los ensayos clínicos?

Las personas participan en los ensayos clínicos por muchas razones, como por ejemplo:

Ayudar a los investigadores a crear mejores tratamientos para las generaciones futuras

Ayudar a los investigadores a conocer mejor su enfermedad

Recibir tratamientos o medicamentos no cubiertos por su seguro

Recibir atención médica especializada y de alta calidad por parte de expertos

Dar el ejemplo e inspirar a otros en su comunidad

Si no participamos, nunca haremos avanzar la medicina.
Jacqueline in a bright red shirt looking up with her arms crossed.

Jacqueline | Guerrera de la enfermedad de células falciformes

En una encuesta reciente realizada a personas con SCD, los participantes decidieron participar en un ensayo clínico de SCD por varias razones:

La posibilidad de controlar mejor sus síntomas

La oportunidad de probar un nuevo tratamiento del ensayo que podría funcionar mejor para ellos

Obtener más información sobre la SCD

Keep reading for clear answers to some of your questions about clinical trials.

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This website was created by Novo Nordisk. Contributions were made with the help of sickle cell warriors, families, advocates, healthcare providers.

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