HIV-infected adults currently are being recruited to participate in a clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health, will enroll approximately 240 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64.
Medical Journal Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Other Issues
November 18, 2009 | by
Author disclosure of financial associations with commercial entities that have an interest in the research published in medical journals is common practice. The information provided in the disclosure helps readers assess the degree of commercial influence over the work. Recently, however, differing journal policies have led to unintentional omissions and there have been calls for medical journals to standardize their conflict of interest policies.
Top 6 Most Important Cancer Advances of 2007
January 17, 2008 | by
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently published its third annual Clinical Cancer Advances report, Clinical Cancer Advances 2007: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening [1]. It was developed under the guidance of a 21-person editorial board consisting of leading oncologists and cancer specialists, including specialty editors for each of the disease-specific and issue-specific sections. The report highlights 6 major advances in cancer research in 2007 and describes an additional 18 other findings of significant importance, demonstrating the pace of progress being made in cancer prevention, screening, treatment, epidemiology and survivorship.
Clinical Trials
March 15, 2007 | by
A clinical trial, also called a clinical study, is a research study designed to answer specific questions about new medical approaches (e.g. drugs, therapies) or new ways of using existing approaches. These studies can test screening methods as well as prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a condition or disease. A clinical trial is one of the final steps in the research process. Health professionals run clinical studies according to strict guidelines set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that people who agree to be in the studies are treated as safely as possible. Clinical trials are usually conducted in four phases with patients to evaluate the effectiveness of new medical approaches. The FDA requires strict testing of all drugs and vaccines prior to their approval for use as therapeutic agents in the general population.
