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Clinical Trials – should I become a human volunteer?

Reply 20

vector

15

That's awful... Surprising that so little could do so much harm...

Reply 21

Vohamanah

16

The publicity surrounding these guys is ridiculous. People were actually surprised that they could volunteer for stuff like that. It was a freak accident and controls have been increased since, so there's very little chance of it happening again.

In order to be cleared for testing on humans a drug has to pass lots of other very strict trials including on animals.

Eubacterium

Actually it was reported in the news a lot of people get ill from clinical trails but it's something not mentioned in the news normally. To the sound of it your blood only got tested which is quite different from having drugs pumped into your body.

In one I had to take some tablets (actually quite a lot :s-smilie:

And I'm not a big tablet-taker. They were quite small but even then I had to take them with water, whereas everyone else just swallowed them :redface:

) and just sit around for a bit, then they did blood tests, swabs of your mouth etc. In the other I had a little injection then had to do some kind of exercises. Methinks that time I had a placebo though, because other people got dry mouths and I didn't.

I would do it again no problem and wouldn't discourage anyone from taking part if they wanted to do it. I think its a very good way the clear your student debt.

Reply 22

Sidhe

If you're worried as said just do something non-invasive, many of the experiments, involve nothing more than harmless probes, imaging devices, allergy tests.

I have to agree there is a lot of scaremongering but the last time I heard of a bad incident, other than the latest one was over 30 years ago with Phalidomide, the safety record for these tests is actually pretty remarkable considering the sorts of drugs they are testing. And consider that you might be helping to trial a new asthma treatment that may save thousands of lives, like the new injection of a virus(harmless) To keep the immune system ticking over so it doesn't overreact, for allergy based asthma.

Really if you have any concerns voice them, if you still don't like the idea of taking medication, then go for non-invasive tests that are very safe. It's a sad thing that these people died, tragic in fact, but this really is very, very rare, and I wouldn't get too bent out of shape. After all think how may lives these drugs have saved?

Reply 23

Forté

2

undersecter

These medicines have gone through loads of tests before there tested on humans; also if there were too dangerous they would not even be allowed to test them on humans.

If thats truly the case, why exactly are the being tested on humans...

Reply 24

Vohamanah

16

domisakin

If thats truly the case, why exactly are the being tested on humans...

Its largely because they have to be tested on humans before being approved. A technicality, if you will. By the time they are tested on humans there is actually very little risk of danger.

Reply 25

becky xxx

2

I think I would do it, if I was seriously struggling for cash, but only minor things.

Reply 26

Talya

16

domisakin

If thats truly the case, why exactly are the being tested on humans...

Because even if a drug has a positive effect on monkeys and dogs, the scientists have to prove it will have the same effect on humans. this can only be done by giving it to humans.

Reply 27

Cortez

17

Potential flu treatment study, 7 nights and £970.

Sounds pretty easy to me. What do they mean by "potential" xxxx treatment though? The word potential is in all of them.

Reply 28

Talya

16

Cortez

Potential flu treatment study, 7 nights and £970.

Sounds pretty easy to me. What do they mean by "potential" xxxx treatment though? The word potential is in all of them.

It means the treatment has worked in animals etc but has yet to be proved in humans.

Reply 29

Cortez

17

So surely you need to have flu to see if it works or not?

Reply 30

Talya

16

Cortez

So surely you need to have flu to see if it works or not?

I think they have to test it on healthy people first to check it doesn't have adverse affects on humans.

Then they'd recruit people from hospitals with the disease to see if it treats it.

Reply 31

Cortez

17

Guess that makes sense.

Reply 32

LawQueen

14

My friend does it and he says you can chose what kind of stuff you do like low-risk. The more risky it is the more money you get, I guess it's a quick way to make money! I'm too scared to do it though...it's a bit eww!

Reply 33

Talya

16

LawQueen

My friend does it and he says you can chose what kind of stuff you do like low-risk. The more risky it is the more money you get, I guess it's a quick way to make money! I'm too scared to do it though...it's a bit eww!

I thought most trials wanted blokes anyway?

Reply 34

LawQueen

14

Talya

I thought most trials wanted blokes anyway?

Hmmm I don't know unless of course there testing something for girls!!

Reply 35

Vohamanah

16

Talya

I thought most trials wanted blokes anyway?

A few, but by no means all, want only male volunteers. There are lots of female-only studies also.

Similarly a lot are 'non-smokers only', but it is possible to find 'smokers only' ones.

I had to inform them I was vegetarian so they could make sure my iron levels etc weren't affected before the study. :s-smilie:

Clinical Trials – should I become a human volunteer?

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