The race is on for Covid-19!
Large pharmaceutical organisations around the globe are racing to come up with a solution to combat Covid-19 – whether that be a new vaccine, drugs or even a change of use for existing drugs that may also help against the new coronavirus. There is even a new Covid-19 Collaboration Platform which has been set up by academic researchers to help investigators at different institutions team up on trials to focus the multiple efforts.
Some of the key trials and the organisations running them are:
- Remdesivir by the US government. Probably the most well known, this trial is one of the few that has already completed the first stages of clinical trials and has, in many cases, been approved for use. The initial phase of results showed that the medicine is effective against Covid-19 – especially in terms of reducing the time it takes for a patient to improve.
- Catalyst by various teams in Birmingham. These trials will test a series of new drugs, including those already in use for patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
- Vaccine by Oxford University. This vaccine trial has also already completed its first phase of clinical trials and is recruiting for phase 2.
- Vaccine by Imperial College London. This trial to help understand and treat the disease.
And there are many others! Big Pharma is, of course, involved. From Sanofi to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), from Pfizer to Johnson & Johnson, from Gilead to Amgen, the big names are all contributing to the efforts – and they’re working together, like never before, to do whatever they can to help us get there.
We’ve been told that it could be some time before anything is available for mass use and part of the reason for this is because there are a number of steps and phases that need to be taken before a new drug or vaccine is deemed safe for public use.
Clinical trials – why do we need them?
Clinical trials are essential when it comes to approving medical treatments. They help by answering these main questions:
Does a treatment work?
Is it more effective than other treatments?
Are there any side effects?
They also help establish how cost-effective a treatment is, the clinical value of a diagnostic test and how a treatment improves quality of life. Normally trials are conducted in 3 phases and only once these phases are complete will regulatory agencies deem the treatment safe and effective.
How can FSTL help?
We already work with a number of key players in this market, which means we have the experience needed to be able to deliver the right transcription solutions for the sector. We’ve also worked increasingly with medical writers over recent years which means we’ve developed and honed a specialist knowledge of the medical field. This enables our transcribers to accurately interpret and record the content of the interview, even when abbreviations and jargon are used within the recording. And of course patient/client confidentiality is fully observed throughout. Not only will the end result be a documented record of a meeting that can be shared, which is in itself incredibly important, but clients can be confident that the document is accurate.
We can cover all aspects: roundtable discussions; transcripts of press launches, webinars; podcasts & promotional videos; interviews with patients/medics; transcripts of audio to be used alongside slide presentations.
If you’d like to know more about how FSTL can help with transcription services, contact us at alex@fionashipley.com.