Rogers attempted to enlist in the Army but was rejected and classified 4-F because of his frail build. But an Army General overhead Rogers pleading to be given a chance to help his country, so he offered him an opportunity to participate in experimental research called Operation Rebirth.
Rogers was given many tests, then injected with something called the Super-Soldier Serum, which was administered orally and intravenously. He was then exposed to various radiation wavelengths that were intended to accelerate the serum’s effect. The result? Rogers emerged from the testing with the perfect human body. Unfortunately, the scientist who invented the serum was murdered before he could write the formula down, so Captain America (as Rogers became known) was the only one to benefit from the clinical research.
Of course, most clinical trials aren’t designed to build super soldiers, and Captain America is a fictional comic book character. In real life, clinical research studies are intended to answer a specific question or questions about the effects of a new drug or treatment in humans. Whenever a new drug hits the market or a treatment breakthrough occurs, it’s the result of extensive testing and research by teams of dedicated scientific and medical professionals.
The National Institutes of Health report that there are several kinds of clinical trials. Treatment trials (sometimes called experimental trials) are designed to see whether combinations of drugs, surgery or radiation therapy can help fight a particular condition.
Prevention trials are, as the name implies, designed to perfect new ways of making sure a disease never occurs or to make sure a disease doesn’t come back. A diagnostic trial seeks to determine faster and better ways to discover new diseases, while screening trials look at finding diseases. Finally, quality of life trials seek ways to make people suffering from long-term, debilitating diseases or illnesses have a better quality of life.
Phases Mark Each Step
Clinical trials are conducted in phases, with each having a different purpose. The Phase I trial is typically small, less than 100 people and is used to check dosage, side effects, and the overall safety of any drug or treatment.
Phase II monitors up to 300 people and continues to look at the safety factor of any proposed drug or treatment. Phase III trials expand to up to 3,000 people and are used to confirm the earlier studies. This is when the focus is critical, as the new treatments will be compared to older ones, and dosages will be carefully calibrated to determine the safe ranges.
Finally, a Phase IV trial is conducted after a drug or treatment is approved for public use. This tracks information and monitors the risks and benefits of the new method, making sure that there were no unintended consequences from the release.
If You Participate
Unlike Captain America’s clinical trial, the tests conducted in the United States have already shown that they can be more effective than prior methods. Testing on human beings is considered a sacred privilege by the scientific and medical communities, and safety is the primary concern. By the time human testing begins, there is reasonable certainty that the treatment at least will be safe.
All United States clinical trials are monitored by what’s called an IRB, or institutional review board. They make sure all proper procedures and safety protocols are followed, and that firm guidelines are established that make sure participants fully understand what’s being done and why. As such, not everyone who applies for a clinical trial is accepted. To ensure that results are carefully calibrated, most research trials will give one group a standard treatment, while the other gets the experimental method. Who gets what is usually kept from the administrator of the tests.
Before you participate in any clinical trial, you will be asked to sign what’s known as informed consent. This document will outline what the study hopes to achieve and what each patient will be asked to do. Of course, you can withdraw at any time from the clinical trial, and you will be closely watched to make sure there are no ill effects from the drug or treatment.
Helping Yourself And Others
By participating in a clinical trial, you’ll have several benefits. The biggest one is a sense of mission. By donating your time and consenting to the administration of the drugs or therapy, you will advance human knowledge and contribute to the greater good. If you are already suffering from a disease, you may benefit from being among the first to achieve positive results from new treatments.
Of course, there are risks. The reason the sessions are voluntary is because they are experimental, and there is no absolute guarantee that there won’t be side effects, some of them potentially serious. You also will be asked to take tests and spend a certain amount of time at the medical facility that is conducting the tests. If it’s a highly experimental test on something like cancer, it may not work for you, and, in fact, may be a major disappointment. Some therapies or treatments also may not be covered by health insurance.
Before you agree to take the test, it’s perfectly okay to ask questions of the medical professionals who are offering the opportunity. Find out the study’s purpose, who will participate, potential risks, and why the researchers believe that the drug or treatment potentially may work.
It’s also valid to ask whether the clinical test will affect daily activities, whether there are long-term follow-ups and how long the trial will last. It’s also important to find out if you will learn the results of the test.
A national public opinion poll conducted by the Research America organization in 2013 discovered that two-thirds of Americans would participate in a clinical trial recommended by a trusted doctor. That’s good news for researchers, indicating that there is a great deal of interest in clinical research under the proper circumstances. Perhaps you’ll discover whether there’s an opportunity that might be right for you.