Medical Trials... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion
Comments
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A really interesting discussion! It's probably one that could run and run and go backwards and forwards forever.
I'll sign off on the discussion with one last comment then.
It's perfectly legitimate to question the validity and ethos of medical trials. But to those who advise:
"NEVER enrol in one of these trials"
"never risk your life for money"
"we don't know about long-term effects" etc
I would answer that you may well be making reasonable points (and on a purely personal level for you they're great). But unless you can also suggest a sensible, viable alternative to these trials, then we will always need them and such arguments are spurious when applied to the system as a whole.
Happy debating! :T0 -
What exactley are medical trials looking for ,if a healthy person is to take the drugs which are to cure illness then what results can there be??0
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crazyangel wrote: »What exactley are medical trials looking for ,if a healthy person is to take the drugs which are to cure illness then what results can there be??
To see if there are side-effects. And that's the point. They have to prove that there will be no side effects like the near-fatal cases a year or two ago.0 -
Please keep this thread on-topic, personal point of views and ethical discussions will be moved to discussion time.
This thread is to give information for those who are interested in medical trials and where to find them.0 -
Interesting discussion guys, I have been considering this option to supplement my income - lot's to think about though.........................0
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They want healthy volunteers to test these drugs because you need to have no other medication in your body i.e. no prescription medicine for 3 months and no over-the-counter for 1 month (paracetamol, ibuprofen etc). Any prescence of these could disrupt the trial.
What they are looking for is to see how the drug metabolises through the body.
What time period does it take to pass out in your urine.
How is it absorbed into your blood.
Does it effect your heart rate or blood pressure.
How do different foods alter it potential effectiveness.
Hope this answers that question.0 -
They want healthy volunteers to test these drugs because you need to have no other medication in your body i.e. no prescription medicine for 3 months and no over-the-counter for 1 month (paracetamol, ibuprofen etc). Any prescence of these could disrupt the trial.
What they are looking for is to see how the drug metabolises through the body.
What time period does it take to pass out in your urine.
How is it absorbed into your blood.
Does it effect your heart rate or blood pressure.
How do different foods alter it potential effectiveness.
Hope this answers that question.
It is different criteria for each test.0 -
Not all drug trials involve the same amount of risk!
My husband is works has worked in both the pre-clinical and clinical phases of drug development. At the moment, they're working on something pretty simple and low-risk: an over-the-counter painkiller that has been licensed in the States for years, coated in a generic anti-sickness drug that is widely prescribed here. Trials for that probably won't involve a great deal of money, but you can be pretty sure your hair won't fall out and that all your limbs will work.
He was also involved - not directly! - in testing a kid's vitamin supplement (developed by a German company) that turned the kids orange in trials due to high doses of beta keratine. That wasn't actually harmful to the kids, but apparently the parents were not amused. :eek:
Also, it's worth bearing in mind that the animal trials which are done before human trials are regulated by the government, not by science. The law states the minimum and maximum number of rodents, mammals, etc that must be used to test the drugs. That means that if a drug developer feels that a drug needs more testing in animals before it is safe to test in humans, it's very difficult to arrange. Similarly, if they feel that testing a drug on a particular animal will not give a good indication of the effects of a drug in humans, they still have to perform those tests. Apart from the ethical considerations involved, the important thing to remember for the purpose of this discussion is: the fact that animal testing has been done doesn't mean that the risks are low.0 -
I'm seriously considering having a go at this being a guinea pig, so much so, that I'm thinking about self-employment.
My two main worries are
a) the enforced breaks between sessions. Does this mean that annual income is severely limited? Could a man make £5K per year, or is that unrealistic?
b) what are the national insurance implications? If it were just a £2.50 stamp per week or whatever, then no problem.
Regarding the potential health risks, i have to say that in my case it's bit too late to worry. I was a tunnelling contractor and got injured when working in polluted ground at a medical drug research plant!
As I was self-employed I didn't get much help at all. Eight years on the sick and lost nearly everything!
So, very little to lose as I'm right at the bottom of the pile nowadays. This medical research may be better than selling the Big Issue, perhaps.
Advice from those who have experience over a year or more would be very welcome.0 -
Does anyone know where I can sign up for trials for asthmatics? I can find info on healthy volunteers but not asthmatics.
(I don't want to discuss the wrongs and rights of trials, just want info, thanks)0
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