Improving Lives
Every medication, treatment, and breakthrough in healthcare starts with research. May 20th is Clinical Trials Day, a time to recognize the critical role of clinical research in shaping modern medicine. Without clinical trials, we wouldn’t have the life-saving treatments we rely on today.
Imagine a world where headaches couldn’t be treated, vaccines didn’t exist, or chronic conditions had no solutions. Thanks to clinical trials, we continue to make strides in preventing illness, easing suffering, and finding new ways to care for patients.
At The Corvallis Clinic, our research team is dedicated to bringing innovative trials to our community. These studies offer participants access to new treatments before they become widely available, advancing medical knowledge that improves patient care. But research isn’t just about the future—it’s about improving lives today.
As part of our commitment to advancing medicine, we have coordinated clinical trials on a variety of FDA-approved treatments, including:
Type 2 Diabetes:
- Mounjaro (improves blood sugar)
- Ozempic (lowers blood sugar and reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events)
- Rybelsus (improves blood sugar)
- Jardiance (reduces the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure)
Vaccines:
- Shingrix (prevents shingles)
- Menveo (protects against meningococcal groups A, C, Y, and W-135)
- Fluzone High Dose (influenza vaccine for adults 65 and older)
- Prevnar (pneumococcal pneumonia prevention)
- Abryso (RSV vaccine for adults 60 and older)
- Janssen (COVID-19 vaccine)
Allergy/Asthma:
- Grastek (for Timothy Grass Pollen allergy)
- Xolair (for severe persistent asthma)
- Odactra (for house dust mite allergy)
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction:
- Wegovy (for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related health problems, and adults with obesity and known heart disease)
We are also actively working on additional trials for Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction.
Clinical trials have a rich history, leading to some of the most important medical discoveries. One of the first controlled clinical trials took place in 1747, when Dr. James Lind, a surgeon in the Royal Navy, set out to find a cure for scurvy. Appalled by the high mortality rate among sailors, he experimented comparing different treatments. His findings, including the discovery that citrus fruits like oranges and lemons could help prevent the disease, would eventually revolutionize naval medicine. However, it took nearly 50 years for the British Navy to adopt lemon juice as a dietary requirement for sailors, later switching to lime juice for its affordability.
Another groundbreaking moment in clinical research came in 1951 with the discovery of HeLa cells, named after Henrietta Lacks, a young mother of five. Lacks sought treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital for cervical cancer, where a sample of her tumor cells was taken without her knowledge, a common practice at the time. Unlike other cells, which quickly died in lab conditions, her cells continued to multiply indefinitely. This incredible discovery led to HeLa cells being used worldwide in medical research, contributing to advancements in cancer treatment, vaccine development, and even space medicine. Today, HeLa cells remain essential for studying the effects of toxins, drugs, hormones, and viruses, helping scientists better understand human health.
In 1954, one of history’s largest and most publicized clinical trials tested Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine. More than 623,000 schoolchildren received injections as part of the study, with over a million others serving as observed controls. The results, announced in 1955, showed the vaccine was 80-90% effective in preventing paralytic poliomyelitis. This historic trial paved the way for widespread immunization and the near eradication of polio in many parts of the world.
To learn more about ongoing clinical trials at The Corvallis Clinic, contact the Clinical Research Center at 541-766-2163 or email research@corvallisclinic.com.
