Clinical trials are the decisive step in bringing medical innovations into practice and opening up new treatment options for patients. According to a survey conducted by the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa) and the German Pharmaceutical Industry Association (BPI), around 45% of people in Germany are willing to take part in a clinical trial. They see this as an opportunity to gain access to new therapies, experience healing or relief and promote medical progress. However, many patients and relatives do not know that clinical trials are a treatment option, how they work or how the protection of participants is guaranteed.

Clinical trials form the bridge between basic research and medical care. They provide essential data for evaluating the safety and efficacy of new therapies. Anna Steiner, Director Clinical Trials at MSD, emphasizes that trials are designed in such a way that every participant receives at least the current standard of medical care. In an oncology trial, for example, an established treatment such as chemotherapy is guaranteed, supplemented by the opportunity to benefit from a potentially more effective therapy. Before a new compound is tested in clinical trials with patients, it undergoes extensive safety and efficacy testing. MSD is currently conducting trials in over 70 countries worldwide, with around 150 trials involving over 1,600 patients active in Germany, primarily in the areas of oncology, vaccines, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases.

The data collected enables a better understanding of disease patterns and risk factors and helps to identify targeted therapies for individual patients. The aim is to further develop precision medicine in order to avoid unnecessary treatment attempts and long periods of suffering. New drugs should not only save lives, but also improve quality of life, for example in the case of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, for which there are often still no satisfactory therapies. Successful study results lead to the approval of new drugs, which then become available to all patients.

MSD has set up its own portal to provide patients, relatives and doctors with better information. It offers easy-to-understand information on ongoing trials, their requirements and participating clinics close to home. The attending physician or a study doctor checks whether a study is suitable for the patient. According to MSD, the platform is intended to facilitate access to clinical research and create transparency, even for people without medical expertise.

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Gender note. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple references and gendered designations are avoided in favor of better readability.