Sleeping, sipping green tea and wearing sticking plasters are among the studies that volunteers have participated in at clinical trials centre LCG Bioscience. This variety is one of the messages that new Head of Volunteer Recruitment Clare Lyon will be communicating to attract both healthy people and patients for future studies.
“Not all of our studies are of drugs,” explains Clare, who is an experienced clinical trials coordinator. “A recent study was of inhalers to check that they were easy to use, and one of our first was for toilet paper! Volunteers go on to a database and are offered a range of different trials to choose from. We even have regulars that come back time after time.”
The centre of excellence has a strong reputation for study design and for creating closely specified patient profiles. Not all studies need young men; people in their mid to later years are also required, as body physiology changes with age. LCG has particular strengths in women’s treatments.
Maintaining an active database of volunteers is a key part of Clare’s job.
“I think that more people would come forward if they had a better idea of what is involved. I will be introducing a raft of new initiatives, such as road-shows and social networking campaigns, to encourage people to find out more,” says Clare. “I will also be highlighting the benefits to volunteers – such as a thorough medical check-up and the opportunity to have a change of scene and meet some different people. Of course there is the satisfaction that comes with helping in the development of life-saving and life-enhancing medical treatments.
“It is essential for us to have suitable participants but it is equally important that they feel at home here and are well looked after.” Every trial is conducted by a dedicated team, which includes medical doctors who are present at every stage of the study. During their stay they will have the comforts of home with WIFI, Sky TV, pool table, books and DVDs, relaxing chairs and 22 acres of beautiful grounds to walk round.
Clare’s previous experience as a Clinical Trials Coordinator has given her knowledge of working with both healthy volunteers and patient groups.
Increasingly, patients are required for the new types of therapeutic drugs in development, as Anthony Priestley, Medical Director at LCG Bioscience explains:
“There is considerable interest in the development of diagnostic techniques that indicate whether a particular person will respond well to a drug before that treatment is prescribed. In the long term this will mean that side effects will be reduced and it could also avoid waste in the health service. To develop these diagnostic techniques we need to understand the differences in the physiology of people with the illnesses and this is one of the reasons that there is a need to study patients as well as healthy volunteers.
“Patients are very good recruits for trials as they have personal reasons for volunteering and feel that they can in a very practical way make a difference in the fight against the disease.”
To boost recruitment of targeted patient groups, Clare will be expanding LCG Bioscience’s GP Network, which is a valuable source of referrals for patients with specific symptoms or health profiles.
“LCG Bioscience has built up a network of trusted GPs and consultants who support us in our work and help us to find suitable participants. I look forward to developing our ties with front-line healthcare providers further, as well as working with patient support groups and others who can help us to expand the range of specialist services and trials that we are able to provide,” says Clare.
LCG Bioscience offers a specialist Sleep Trials Centre where drugs for a range of conditions can be assessed for their impact on healthy sleep and where treatments for sleep disorders can be objectively tested. The centre is also a leader in biomarker research with the benefit of close proximity between the labs and studies.
“I hope that I will be able to develop new methods of recruitment that will attract targeted groups to take part in specific trials,” says Clare. “LCG Bioscience has an enviable record in ensuring that suitable participants step forward, and I hope to build on this to expand our participant database into new areas.”
For more information about participating in trials, call Volunteer Recruitment Freephone: 0800 833399 or visit http://www.beavolunteer.co.uk or email volunteers@lcg-bourn.co.uk
For information about LCG Bioscience visit www.lcg-bioscience.com
About LCG Bioscience
LCG Bioscience is a specialist clinical research organisation for exploratory and early phase clinical development. Established in 1993 it performs Phase I and Phase IIa clinical studies and laboratory analysis for all phases. It has particular expertise in studies that require biomarkers, complex clinical procedures, special populations, or surrogate pharmacodynamic endpoints. It has specialist facilities for respiratory and sleep trials.
LCG Bioscience is an operating division of Bourn Hall Ltd and is located at Bourn Hall, Bourn, Cambridge, CB23 2TN, UK Tel 01954 717217 http://www.lcg-bourn.co.uk
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