Opinion: The importance of reducing the financial burden of participating in clinical trials
Scientific advancements have helped millions of people living with cancer, heart disease, arthritis, obesity, and other diseases. Essential for the development of new therapies are the thousands of people who volunteer to participate in clinical trials every year, helping to characterize the safety and effectiveness of treatments and vaccines.
They raise their hands not knowing if the trial will help, only knowing they will be part of a journey toward possible breakthroughs that will improve or save lives. Yet only about 5% of adults in the U.S. participate in clinical trials. In oncology, the most-researched therapeutic area, a slightly higher percentage of people (7.1%) enroll in treatment trials.
