Clinical trials are a way that you and doctors can work together to find new drugs and therapies that may help people with Parkinson's disease. Here, you can find out if clinical trials for Parkinson's disease are right for you, and what you need to know if you're considering joining one.
Clinical trials allow you to access -- free of charge -- new therapies that may be effective for your symptoms. They also help to push forward the science of PD.
If you meet the study’s ‘ inclusion criteria,’ you sign an ‘informed consent form’ and then will be assigned to a ‘study arm. You may need to travel to the medical center for regular check-ups and treatments over the course of several years.
Differing types of clinical trials require differing levels of commitment from you. Your time commitment to a phase 1 level trial may be less than for a phase 3 trial. But you may benefit from all types and levels of clinical trials.
Most clinical trials include a placebo condition in their design in order to increase confidence in the effectiveness of the ‘target drug’ that is being tested. If you are assigned to the ‘placebo arm’ of a study, you may still be able to receive the target drug at the end of the study.
Before joining a clinical trial, make sure you and family and your doctor are in agreement about your commitment to the study.
The informed consent process is meant to make sure that you understand what the study is about, what you will be doing, and the potential risks and benefits. Find out more here.
Sources of good information on clinical trials for new PD therapies are your PD doctors and the internet. You can find the right clinical trials for you right on the internet!
Clinical trials have helped to create more effective treatments for Parkinson's disease over the years. There are signs that the pace of discovery is increasing!
