Clinical trials evolving as they advance treatment
Singapore has set its sights on becoming a regional centre for clinical trials as these will give Singaporeans early access to new treatments and drugs. In view of World Clinical Trials Day last Friday, Clara Chong looks at three different trials and explores how the nature of clinical trials has changed over the years. World Clinical Trials Day was started to recognise the work done by Scottish doctor James Lind on May 20, 1747, when he started what is often considered the first randomised clinical trial aboard a ship.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Clinical trials, which are the bedrock of modern medicine, have changed significantly over the years.
"Trials need not involve drug interventions. For example, trials can involve the follow-up of groups of individuals with specific characteristics to better understand the factors which contribute to development of disease," Dr Sue-Anne Toh, an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore, told The Straits Times in an exclusive interview.
"From there, we can potentially learn about how we can enhance interventions, whether they be medications or specific lifestyle changes, to alter the course of progression to disease or complications," said Dr Toh, who is also leading some clinical trials on diabetes at the National University Hospital.
Such observational trials likely involve healthy participants too, and are not limited to people with or at risk of disease.
With technology, the manner in which trials can be conducted has also evolved, and they no longer necessarily involve a face-to-face meeting. Instead, they can be conducted via virtual platforms, polls and structured questionnaires, and can be a mix of all these different modes, Dr Toh added.
Finally, a globally connected world has also facilitated multi-centred trials, where participant profiles can come from different geographical locations.