Clinical Trials Day is observed on May 20 every year to mark the anniversary of the day in 1747 when James Lind conducted the first randomized clinical study. On Clinical Trials Day, take a moment to recognize the accomplishments of clinical research professionals in public health and medicine by recognizing their efforts in clinical trials. It is also a day to express gratitude to clinical research experts for their contributions to the advancement of public health through their work. The goal is to make this a primary focus for international communication activities, meetings, discussions, and celebrations of clinical research over this period as well.
History of Clinical Trials Day
This day has a long and illustrious history, as it commemorates and commemorates an event that occurred hundreds of years ago, in the 1700s, to be exact. In 1747, a surgeon named James Lind was serving on the H.M.S. Salisbury, which was a ship in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The ship’s seamen were patrolling the English channel at a time when it was not uncommon for them to be struck down by the feared scurvy and, in some cases, to die as a result of it.
Scurvy is a debilitating disease that is caused mostly by a deficiency of vitamin C. Those who die as a result of gum disease usually do so as a result of an infection produced by the condition and the bleeding that it causes.
James Lind, a pioneer in naval hygiene, believed he had figured out how to treat it — but he needed proof. As a result, he gathered a group of 12 affected males to whom he administered his test, which included some citrus fruits and others that were not. Lind assigned two men to each of six distinct daily treatments for a total of fourteen days without disclosing the mechanism by which he made the selection. 1.1 liters of cider; 25 milliliters of elixir vitriol (diluted sulfuric acid); 18 milliliters of vinegar three times throughout the day before meals; half a pint of seawater; two oranges and one lemon consumed daily for six days only (or until the supply was exhausted); and a medicinal paste consisting of garlic, mustard seed, dried radish root, and gum myrrh were used as treatment. According to Lind’s assessment of the research, those who were given citrus fruits reported the most immediate and noticeable impacts. This was the first clinical trial conducted.
Clinical Trials Day timeline
James Lind records an early version of a clinical trial with scurvy patients.
Crossover trials are first documented in research by English physician Caleb Parry in which he alternates between giving each patient the same sort of rhubarb at different times and then comparing the patient's symptoms while eating each variety of rhubarb.
William Fletcher, the district surgeon at the Kuala Lumpur Lunatic Asylum, is prompted by a beriberi outbreak to randomly assign one group to consume white rice and the other to consume brown rice in a clinical experiment and this is one of the earliest examples of randomization in clinical trials.
Sir Austin Bradford Hill, an English epidemiologist and statistician, carries out the first-ever randomized controlled experiment to treat tuberculosis of the lungs.
Clinical Trials Day FAQs
Is it possible for children to take part in clinical trials?
Yes. In most cases, pediatric patients are asked to engage in clinical trials, and there has been tremendous progress in pediatric cancer treatment as a result of those efforts throughout the years.
Can I leave a clinical trial early?
Yes. There is no time limit on when you can withdraw from a clinical trial, and you can do so for any reason.
How do I find out if I'm a good candidate for a clinical trial?
In all clinical studies, some guidelines specify who can participate. These are referred to as the eligibility criteria. You may be eligible to take part in a clinical study if you meet certain criteria, which may include your age, gender, disease type and stage, past treatment history, as well as other medical conditions.
How to Observe Clinical Trials Day
Sign up to be part of a clinical trial
Clinical trial participants are often sought after by professionals conducting clinical trials. Clinical trials are easy to participate in, and you may even be compensated for your time and efforts. If you want to contribute to medical research, you should consider doing so right away.
Raise awareness
You can raise awareness about clinical trials and how they positively help others. Raising awareness can also encourage people to sign up for clinical trials.
Post on social media
The impact and reach of social media are unmatched. Writing about the importance of the day can get to the relevant people which can change people’s lives.
5 Facts About Clinical Trials
Protocol
In every clinical research, there is a detailed blueprint known as a protocol outlining how the clinical experiment will be carried out.
Comparison groups
Clinical trials are almost always conducted with comparison groups, in which patients are randomly allocated to one of two or more groups that are statistically similar, but with each group being given a unique treatment plan.
Placebo
Only a limited percentage of cancer clinical studies make use of placebos, which are non-therapeutic substances administered to patients as a control group.
Informed consent
Clinical trials require informed consent, which a doctor or nurse will offer you before you decide whether or not to participate and a consent form will be provided to you if you accept to participate in the study.
Principal investigator
The trial's primary investigator is often a doctor, and he or she is in charge of the study.
Why Clinical Trials Day is Important
Know which medication works
Clinical trials are one of the most successful methods for discovering which medications can heal particular illnesses or improve certain bodily functions. It is only through clinical trials that new medicines and methods of illness detection, diagnosis, and prevention may be found. It is impossible to discover in the laboratory or on animals what works and what doesn't for researchers until they do clinical trials on humans first.
Ensures side effects are not too drastic
A novel treatment's adverse effects can also be evaluated in clinical trials to see if they are worth the potential benefits. A new, more successful medicine was discovered thanks to a clinical experiment that was conducted by someone else in the past.
Useful for another illness
When a medicine reaches the clinical trial stage, it's usually safe and has a reasonable possibility of working. In some circumstances, an approved medicine is being tested in a clinical trial for an illness for which it has already been found to be safe and effective.
Clinical Trials Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | May 20 | Monday |
| 2025 | May 20 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | May 20 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | May 20 | Thursday |
| 2028 | May 20 | Saturday |
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