To get into a clinical research group is a chance for many patients, first of all, to get a free therapy course with innovative drugs with conducting regular medical examinations and examinations on the basis of leading clinics of the world.
Israel is rightfully considered one of the leaders in the field of clinical research. Here new experimental protocols are being implemented into practice very quickly, to increase treatment effectiveness of such complex diseases as for example, cancer.
In Israel, there is an opportunity to applicate the latest drugs for treatment of different pathologies even before their approval by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA). As a rule, this procedure (approval of positive decision on new drugs application by FDA) lasts for years, and in the meantime, seriously ill people lose their last chance for recovery. Therefore, patients of leading Israeli medical centers available innovative methods and protocols of therapy already after receiving the first ones positive results of clinical trials in case of standard treatment schemes is not accompanied by a response from patient's disease.
Participation in clinical research is available not only to citizens of Israel, but also for foreigners, in particular patients from Ukraine. To become a participant of new drugs clinical trials or treatment methods must be performed only 3 conditions:
- Obtain approval to participate from Israeli specialist who leads this study and is a part of research group.
- Availability of medical screenings that allow you to become a participant of experiment (certain diagnosis and stage of pathology, inefficiency standard treatment protocols, no contraindications to applicate drugs being tested, etc.). All similar participation conditions of study is described in detail in its design, the attending physician will be able to give an answer about whether a particular patient is suitable for of this study.
- Availability of a free place in study. As a rule, the number of places in such tests are always limited.
All clinical studies are conducted in accordance with accepted international standards protocols, with strict compliance with safety requirements and without violation ethical standards. The main task of clinical research is testing of something new medicinal product in order to assess its safety and effectiveness. Importantly understand that all clinical trials on volunteers are preceded preclinical stage, during which thorough chemical, biological and laboratory analysis of various properties and qualities of the medicinal product, therefore, such studies are already considered safe.
All patients of Maimonides Multidisciplinary Medical Center have an opportunity to become participants in any clinical study taking place at the base of our Israeli partner clinics, including research conducted at base of the best European and American university clinics. For it is only necessary to inform your attending physician about such a decision, so that a specialist can determine whether you are suitable for a specific design trial. If you do not have any contraindications to participate in the test of an innovative drug, attending physician will contact a foreign specialist who heads this study and is a member of research team to agree on next steps for patient approval as a new clinical trial participant.
Patients who communicate a desire to participate are allowed to participate in research innovative treatment after signing the informed consent form. Before signing this document, medical staff explains to patient about research main aim, tells about possible benefits and risks, as well as the existing ones alternatives to proposed treatment. At the same time, patient is on any stage of the research can refuse to participate in it.
Participation in clinical research will be especially relevant for seriously ill patients with cancer who have exhausted all possibilities of standard treatment protocols and did not receive a positive response to therapy. Maimonides team, thanks to cooperation with the best clinical oncology centers in Israel, USA and Europe, offers its patients non-standard solving their problems by participating in experimental tests. To us both patients themselves and doctors from other medical centers can apply of Ukraine, who are looking for a real chance to prolong life and recovery for their seriously ill patients.
The decision to participate in experimental treatment is not an easy task, however, it must be accepted as soon as possible. After all, from the timeliness of therapy beginning the prognosis and possible consequences of the disease depend on.
What are the benefits of participating in clinical trials?
Participation in clinical trials allows doctors to accelerate the development of new ones effective treatment methods and prevention of cancer development, to improve patients lives of with such a diagnosis.
During clinical trials, patient receives:
- Access to innovative treatment unavailable in other clinics.
- High-quality medical care during treatment and careful follow-up after its completion.
- Testing a new treatment method in a situation where other methods of medical aid proved to be ineffective.
- Reduced financial costs as the patient does not pay for medications, they are financed by clinic conducting the trial. The main ones costs during experimental treatment are associated with accommodation payment, food and accompanying diagnostics.
What are the risks of participating in clinical trials?
Any clinic, on the basis of which research is carried out, strives to make clinical tests as safe as possible. Each study requires a complete informing the patient about possible consequences, which guarantees a comprehensive understanding treatment goals and possible risks, which include:
- Increasing the duration of necessary treatment course or its adjustment along the way
- Side effects from medications applying or other methods of therapeutic or surgical care.
- Lack of experimental treatment effectiveness.
To ensure an additional safety level of clinical trials medical center regularly sends reports to medical commissions to perform evaluation of conducted research. If the results of these reports show that treatment is dangerous, it is immediately terminated prematurely.
Examples of clinical trials ongoing
- Currently, specialists of Hadassah Clinic, Israel are recruiting patients with metastatic melanoma with mutations in BRAF gene in clinical group research. It is planned to evaluate treatment effectiveness and safety of metastatic melanoma in patients with BRAF oncogene mutation by Zelboraf medication, compared to inhibitors of MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase).
- Scientific research by Hadassah University Clinic specialists and scientists from Pennsylvania is ongoing. This will help to cure millions of patients with lymphoma. Based on three central university clinics in Israel (Hadassa, Ikhilov, Shiba) will begin testing process of a new generation immunobiological drugs for lymphoma treatment – KAHR-102.
- Application of anti-CD19 CAR T-cells for therapy of B-cell neoplasms among children and teenagers. The study takes place on the basis of Sheba Medical Center, Israel. The head is professor Amos Toren.
- Application of Imatinib and BL-8040 medications (a new antagonist chemokine receptor CXCR4) to improve the molecular response in chronic myeloid leukemia. Research takes place at Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
- Study of Ibrutinib application in combination with Bendamustine and Rituximab for treatment of recurrent/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma. The study takes place on the basis of Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
- Therapy of colorectal cancer, cancer of stomach and esophagus, metastatic renal cell carcinoma with gevokizumab;
- Treatment of solid tumors with genetic mutations of HER3, HER2, EGFR drug Neratinib.
- Application of biological drug pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy for treatment of stomach or esophagus adenocarcinoma, and as well as liver cancer – hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Chemoradiation therapy for pancreatic cancer.
- Treatment of brain tumors with alternating electric fields.
- Therapy of prostate cancer with rukoparib medication.
- Bladder cancer treatment with pembrolizumab.
- Biological therapy of non-small cell lung cancer with atezolizumab drugs.
- A new protocol for hormonal therapy of breast cancer.
- The newest pharmacological invention of SkyrizI (risankizumab-rzaa) is a biological drug that helps to eliminate external symptoms of psoriasis quickly and effectively.
effectively. To create medications for cancer is one of the most important tasks that modern medical science faced. Every year there are discoveries that help to understand the nature of these diseases and to develop new methods of their treatment. Every innovative approach must prove its efficacy and safety through clinical trials of. Involving patient volunteers, thousands of people find hope and a chance for recovery.
If you are interested in participating in clinical trials, please contact us. Maimonides Medical Center specialists will check whether the current research is ongoing specifically in your case. If so, the doctor will invite you to appointment to see if your particular clinical situation fits the design of trial.
Take the medicine of future advantages!