'clinical trials' in your area??? | Arthritis Information

I've started wondering about something....and wondered if anyone else has noticed it.

I used to see notices about clinical trials in doctor's offices and, occasionally, there would be an ad in the paper that would ask, "Have you been diagnosed with Disease/Condition?"

Lately, in the wake of publicity about direct-to-consumer drug advertising, it seems like I am seeing/hearing direct-to-consumer.....clinical trial advertising! Can it be?

They are advertising clinical trials on the radio here. Fibro, COPD, IBS seem popular.

The print ads have changed, too. "Do you have fibromyalgia?", they inquire, then list the symptoms in case you aren't sure. And by symptoms, I mean, yikes, I have fibro? Nothing about what I know to be specific criteria, but apparently that "tender to the touch" line was golden because they have that in there.

Anyway, very similar to the things I've seen criticized about direct-to-consumer drug ads now turning up in clinical trial notices.

I'm noticing it, but can't figure out the angle. They couldn't put someone in a trial who didn't have the disease/condition, so why would they promote the trial to such a large audience????
Suzanne2008-05-05 08:10:57

No Takers, hence the advertizing...just a thought

LuAnn :)

That's why the 'have you been diagnosed' ads would make sense, but screening out people with no dx? And would a new dx be a good candidate for a trial? Well, maybe so, maybe they need new dxs. In our area the "Pracs Institute" conducts clinical trials of new drugs. Don't know about other types of clinical trials. Do they do radio ads? Radio ads for clinical trials have been popular in my area for years. I can't recall if any of them just gave symptoms rather than asking for already-diagnosed patients though.I've heard them on the radio and seen them on tv. As far as I know in my area clinical trial participants are recruited through notices in doctors' offices and through doctors. But we don't have DTC advertising for drugs in Canada.Googled 'clinical trial radio advertising'. These guys specialize in it:

http://www.healthadvertising.com/

Who knew you could base an entire business on that one segment of advertising? Learn something everyday.
They did radio in my old area. And here they have 'focus groups' for it.

Pip

if i understand correctly... they put ads in the newspaper too. w.w.

Yep - I've seen them for years. I don't have a problem with it. I've seen the print ads for years, but they have changed in recent months - they do not state you need to have been dx'd by a physician, for example - and the radio ads are definitely new to this market. Here's an excerpt from a NIH site about understanding clinical trials:

All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate. Using inclusion/exclusion criteria is an important principle of medical research that helps to produce reliable results. The factors that allow someone to participate in a clinical trial are called "inclusion criteria" and those that disallow someone from participating are called "exclusion criteria". These criteria are based on such factors as age, gender, the type and stage of a disease, previous treatment history, and other medical conditions. Before joining a clinical trial, a participant must qualify for the study. Some research studies seek participants with illnesses or conditions to be studied in the clinical trial, while others need healthy participants. It is important to note that inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally. Instead, the criteria are used to identify appropriate participants and keep them safe. The criteria help ensure that researchers will be able to answer the questions they plan to study.

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/info/understand

Last week while at RA doc, I saw a notice on the door in the room in the back that you see the dr. It was a study for people who had ra and hadn't used mtx or biologics. Which ruled me out. They also advertise in the newspaper.

Hadn't used mtx or biologics??? What in the world are they studying? New med?

Pip