Awards and Articles
Below is a list of awards and articles for which
CenterWatch has been recognized as a top resource for quality information
on clinical research. Please click on any of the items below to view
text from the article, or visit the web site that issued the award.
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CenterWatch was featured as a top health site in the 2002
World Almanac. Click
here to find out more and to purchase a copy.
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CenterWatch Clinical Trials
A Web Review by ASK's Darren Gowen
This web site, www.centerwatch.com,
contains information on world-wide clinical trials of
more than 7,500 drugs. You can search or browse a listing
of recently FDA approved drugs by therapeutic area.
You may be surprised to recognize some of the drugs
in the listing. These most likely are variations of
the drugs your child is receiving, as each way a drug
is administered also requires FDA approval. Through
this site you can search for more than 35,000 clinical
trials by either therapeutic area or geographic region.
This searchable database includes the clinical trials
from the National Cancer Institute's PDQ database, and
all government- and industry-sponsored trials now being
conducted at the NIH's Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical
Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
The Industry Professionals section has a directory of
profiles on more than 150 clinical research centers.
It can be searched either by therapeutic expertise or
geographic region. MCV has a profile in the directory.
This section can be an important resource to find the
locations of medical institutions offering the type
of treatment your child requires. They can notify you
by e-mail if your profile matches the needs of any trials.
This web site is a unique place to bookmark as your
starting point for finding information.
Newsletter, Summer 2000 Issue
Effort grows to teach risks, benefits of clinical trials
Thomson CenterWatch statistics referenced regarding the number of clinical trials
worldwide, the number of clinical trials in the United States and the length of delay
for the average clinical trial.
By Julie Bell ,Baltimore Sun Staff, Thursday June 9th, 2005
Is There a Doctor Online?
by Rachel Ballweg
Two Sites Worth Checking Out www.centerwatch.com
Patients with serious medical conditions will want to bookmark
this site on their computers. It lists more than 41,000 industry
and government-sponsored clinical trials, as well as new drug
therapies recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
It also can tell you what government-funded research studies
are under way at the National Institutes of Health.
Better Homes and Gardens, June
2000
Breast Cancer Information: The only thing that seems
to grow faster than your kids are the advances in breast-cancer
research. Almost monthly there's a major breakthrough
or announcement. Here are the best places to help you
stay on top of this disease.
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service, a roundup
of the latest in treatment, www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat29.html
Better Homes and Gardens web-site,
June 2000
Trial Transparency System Doesn't Need Law
By Aaron Lorenzo, Washington Editor, BioWorld Today
Wednesday June 1st, 2005
Reprinted with permission from Thomson BioWorld
www.bioworld.com
WASHINGTON–With a bill kicking around the halls of
Congress related to clinical trial transparency, some are
scratching their heads over a need for such legislation.
"The bill would mandate public disclosure of not only
active clinical trials," said Dan McDonald, the vice president
of Thomson CenterWatch in Boston, "but also clinical trial
result information, which is in itself a very noble cause."
He's not sure the proposed law is essential. McDonald
agreed that companies should make data available for consumers,
but many already do just that through various registries,
and his chief concern lies in the bill's requirement
of posting on a central internet registry.
Such an effort already has created the www.clinicaltrials.gov
website, though that has had light usage at best.
The national registry, which went live in 2000 after being
established through a $215 million appropriation, has yet
to receive full compliance. McDonald said not quite half the
trials that should be on the www.clinicaltrials.gov website
are posted.
"There have been no FDA crackdowns on pharmaceutical
companies that we know of, to get them to post this
information," he told BioWorld Today. "So our point is that it
really hasn't worked, not the way it was intended."
Instead, companies have posted clinical trial data on
commercial registries, and have done so for about a
decade. With a system already in place, McDonald said
there isn't necessarily a need for legislation such as the Fair
Access to Clinical Trials (FACT) Act of 2005, which Sens.
Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa)
introduced in February. Its authors have proposed that the
law create a registry on information for all clinical trials
conducted to test the safety or effectiveness of any drug,
biological product or device, including approved products,
intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases and
conditions.
McDonald added that pressure for a government-mandated
clinical trials registry also is coming from the International
Committee of Medical Journal Editors.
But the FACT Act is of concern to companies that fear
submitting proprietary information to the registry.
"It would disclose detailed information about the
design of studies, the indication targeted and a little bit
about the molecules themselves to competitors," McDonald
said. "Obviously, that's a big concern."
Other worries for companies relate to gathering the
volumes of data to comply with requirements for such a
registry, as well as determining which results, positive or
negative, are worth reporting.
Among clinical trial posting services on the market are
registries managed by CenterWatch. McDonald, who conceded
that his position might seem self-serving, said eight
of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies use Center-
Watch. He pointed out that with such an infrastructure in
place, the legislation would be surplus.
Some of those drug companies also post data on their
own websites, through guidelines suggested by the Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America and
other international pharmaceutical associations. On CenterWatch,
consumers can navigate through its registries to
seek information on trials, products and research centers,
an open-resource public service that does not require registration
or personal information.
Given those existing resources, McDonald recommended
that all interested stakeholders, including Congressional
members, health care companies, patient advocacy
groups and commercial registry businesses, work collectively
together to create a better disclosure and transparency
solution that doesn't duplicate an existing mandate.
"You could appropriate millions of more dollars to create
another public registry that might take five to seven
years to be populated and might never be complete,"
McDonald said. "Or you could get behind not necessarily
CenterWatch itself, but maybe a consortium of current registries
and get the commercial/industry side of this
involved in the discussion. That really isn't happening
now."
The FACT Act, also labeled S.470, has been referred to
the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions. In addition to Dodd and Grassley, other co-sponsors
include Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
and Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.).
In addition to what they charge for, CenterWatch has a wealth of free information for the public on its
site, and Roche decided that would ensure its data had the highest possible visibility.
The Center for Business Intelligence, April 27, 2006
Our ability to build strategic relationships is being increasingly recognized as a key differentiator,
with Kendle recently being named the 'Top CRO to Work With' in the Thomson CenterWatch 2007 survey of U.S.
investigative sites."
CNN Money, August 1, 2007
"Your doctor can help you decide on a possible
treatment and may be able to locate an upcoming
trial - or refer you to a specialist who can.
Other good sources include:
The National Institutes of Health, which lists
government-funded studies of virtually all major
diseases.CenterWatch which lists some 7,000 privately
funded clinical trials at www.centerwatch.com."
Consumer Reports, December 1998
"With the advent of disease state management,
the Internet has witnessed a meteoric rise
of online clinical trials resources. A couple
of years ago, the granddaddy of clinical trial
sites, CenterWatch, stood alone. CenterWatch
is a fee-based clearing house of information
on trials around the world in a variety of
areas, and it is a good place to start......"
COR Healthcare Resources
1998
According to the '2007 CenterWatch National Survey of Study Volunteers', presented at the Drug Information
Association (DIA) conference in Atlanta in June, the most popular motivation for patients to participate in
clinical trials was "to help myself and others/ to advance science" (81 per cent); "to find a better treatment"
(75 per cent) coming in closely behind, followed by "to receive higher quality medical care" (51 per cent).
Drug Researcher, September 9, 2007
Russia is on track to become the next big clinical research market; global pharma R&D
spending is projected to top $100 billion in 2007; and convenience is the number one concern of patients
participating in clinical trials. These are just three of the hundreds of data points and research
observations featured in State of the Clinical Trials Industry 2007, an annual sourcebook produced
by Thomson CenterWatch, a leading provider of information and solutions to the clinical trials industry,
and a business within of The Thomson Corporation.
Earth Times, May 3, 2007
Financial Links Section
CenterWatch.com
This site is designed for investors interested in the
biotech industry. CenterWatch is full of information
for investors who want to do serious research on clinical
trials of drugs and treatments of various diseases.
Definitely not for the casual investor, but exactly
the kind of primary research needed to invest in biotech
companies. www.centerwatch.com
e-com magazine May-June 2000
| 2002 & 2003 eHealthcare Leadership Awards |
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In 2003 CenterWatch web site won the award for Best Health/Healthcare
Content - Other Health Sites, in the fourth annual eHealthcare
Leadership Awards. CenterWatch won the Platinum award, which
is the top award for this category. The program drew nearly
1,200 entries and web sites were judged based on a standard
of Internet excellence and how they compared with others in
their organization's classification. One hundred four individuals
familiar with healthcare and the Internet evaluated entries.
In 2002 CenterWatch.com received the Silver Award for Best
Health/Healthcare Content - General Health Site from the eHealthcare
Leadership Awards. Web sites were judged based on standard of
Internet excellence and how they compared with others in thier
organizations classification. Eighty individuals familiar with
healthcare and the Internet evaluated entries.
According to CenterWatch, the Indian clinical trials market has grown from $35 million in 2002 to
$120 million in 2006. The market is estimated to be worth $250-300 million by 2010. As a consequence,
data volumes generated from these trials has also risen.
EXPRESS Pharma, October 24, 2007
Diagnostics biz set to boom
Ravi Krishnan, Financial Express - Bombay,India
CenterWatch is quoted regarding the future growth in the pharmaceutical industry in a story on the anticipated boom of clinical research outsourcing to India.
Cavet Emptor
By Adrienne Sanders
Type in "cancer" on Yahoo and you'll get 2,285 hits, many
of them for the astrological sign otherwise known as Moonchildren.
Here's a guide to help you avoid misfires, quacks and bogus
cures on the 15,000 health-related sites:Centerwatch
www.centerwatch.com Offers more
than 35,000 clinical trials that are actively recruiting
patients including a summary of research and contact information.
Forbes Magazine,
April 17, 2000
 :
Medical Sites on the Web: Good Sites for General
Health InfoCenterWatch (www.centerwatch.com)
-- Here's where you can learn how to get in on
clinical trials."
FORTUNE, January 12, 1999
Reaching an African-American Audience
According to CenterWatch Monthly, sponsors are still struggling to increase diversity within the
subject pool for clinical trials: "In spite of a growing need for trial subjects, sponsor
companies’ tolls and techniques for increasing diversity remain inconsistent, unsophisticated, and
underdeveloped."
By Donna Beasley, February 2006
Sourcing the Deciding Process
To better understand the role and impact of outsourcing departments and how they are changing,
Thomson CenterWatch conducted an in-depth survey of major biopharmaceutical companies during the
summer and autumn of 2003.
By Mary Jo Lamberti
CENTERWATCH.COM: The site offers brief summaries of trials for all kinds of ills. For example, we found dozens of studies all over the country on ways to treat high cholesterol. For more information, you submit your query through a form that is privacy protected.
Good Housekeeping, October 2006
Join a Research Study, Page 78
As seen in the new book, Healthcare Online for Dummies®
By Judi
Wolinsky, Howard
Wolinsky
A good resource to help you get more information on clinical trials and how they work is
CenterWatch, a Boston-based company that tracks the industry. They also offer several helpful
publications including "Volunteering for a Clinical Trial" and "Understanding the Informed Consent
Process" ($3 each) which can be ordered online at www.centerwatch.com or by calling (800) 765-9647.
Herald Today, November 4, 2006
Is Clinical Research For You?
Thomson CenterWatch publishes The CRC’s Guide to Coordinating Clinical Research and Becoming a
Successful Clinical Research Investigator, which are helpful to those just starting out in
those roles.
By Dr. David Ginsberg, October 2005
According to Thomson CenterWatch, 20 to 30 per cent of clinical trials are being conducted in
ascending regions. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies are using this as an opportunity to build
relationships with key physicians and clinicians in these regions as they are in the best position
to ultimately promote and prescribe the drug undergoing the trial when it comes to market.
Irish Medical Times, April 4, 2007
According to the Boston-based CenterWatch information service which follows the clinical test
industry, there are about 80,000 tests under way each year in the United States.
Lexington Herald-Leader, April 7, 2006
Protect yourself on the Web "6 Trustworthy Health Sites"
The National
Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC)
Healthfinder
National Library
of Medicine
CBSHealthWatch
by Medscape
Mayo Clinic
CenterWatch
Marie Claire, March, 2000
"National Registry of Clinical Trials"
NewsBytes Section
CenterWatch, a Boston-based information services company,
is completing the development of a national registry of clinical
trials for use by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
The CenterWatch Registry has been designed to meet the requirements
described in Section 113 of the Food and Drug Administration
Act of 1997. This legislation calls for the National Institutes
of Health, working with other agencies and companies, to coordinate
the establishment of various data banks for public access
to clinical trials information.
The CenterWatch Registry is designed to be flexible
and easy to use by pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies. To preserve the integrity of the information
provided, sponsor summaries will be reviewed and overseen
by an Institutional Review Board before being posted.
The CenterWatch Registry will list several thousand
study summaries and will be integrated with the CenterWatch
Clinical Trials Listing Service, and established Website
providing listings of more than 41,000 individual IRB-approved
clinical trials. CenterWatch estimates that this year
alone, the CenterWatch Registry and Clinical Trials
Listing Services-along with their coordinated online
and print affiliations-will reach more than 4 million
Americans. For more information, visit the CenterWatch
Website at www.centerwatch.com
MDComputing May/June 2000
Clinical trials Web sites: Delivering on the promise?
By Catherine Zandonella
April 2005
Roche clinical trial registry and results database launched
Medical News Today
United Kingdom
April 17th, 2005
Story covering new clinical trials registry and trial results database
developed by Thomson CenterWatch for Roche, located at
www.roche-trials.com
Medicine On The Net
"One of the best such sites is CenterWatch Clinical
Trials Listing Service. This site allows patients to
search for trials in a wide number of categories. It
can also notify patients by e-mail when a clinical trial
for a specific condition is posted on the site. 'People
who live in certain areas of the country or whose doctors
are not savvy about trials may be at a disadvantage.
We're trying to even the playing field a bit,' says
Ken Jacobs with Internet Services at CenterWatch. Unlike
most sites that maintain information about clinical
trials, this site is not restricted to a single specialty
or condition. It includes clinical trial listings, newly
approved drug therapies, research centers, and industry
provider profiles. All can be searched by keyword."
—Medicine On The Net, January 1999
Clinical trials Web sites: Delivering on the promise?
Article discussing the increased use of web sites featuring clinical
trials. Centerwatch provides some statistics about their own site.
Read Full Article
—Medicine on the Net, April 2005
Mental Health Net
Web Resources CenterWatch, Inc.
An international listing of clinical research trials.
You can use this listing to search for clinical trials,
find out information about physicians and medical centers
performing clinical research, and to learn about drug
therapies newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
A well designed site. Easy to navigate.
- Three-star rating!
- Readers Choice
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More Chinese Get Free Drugs In Clinical Trials
As Western drug companies plot strategies to tap that market, many are basing
clinical trials in China. Roche has at least five trials in Shanghai listed on
Thomson corp.’s CenterWatch, a drug-trial listing service based in Boston.
By Elena Berton, The New York Times, February 14, 2006
"A
Long List of Clinical Trials"
"For the desperately ill, new drugs can never come
out quickly enough. The CenterWatch web site can tell
such people where new drugs are being tested. The site
lists more than 7,000 clinical trials for drugs and
other medical treatments. Nearly all of them are recruiting
patients at test centers nationwide.
The site owned by CenterWatch, a Boston publishing
company, began three years ago and has quickly become
a medical and on-line sensation. Each month, the CenterWatch
site receives 100,000 visits from 85,000 patients or
their advocates. And the site still has room to grow:
7,000 clinical trials is roughly about 10 percent of
the nations total. 'The web site is not a big profit
maker for us,' said Ken Getz, a principle and publisher
of CenterWatch. 'But it addresses a critical need for
patients who are eager for alternative treatments.'
Navigating through the site's bounty of clinical trials
is a breeze. The trials are organized into 20 broad
disease categories, which include everything from oncology
to dental/maxielofacial surgery. Within each grouping
are specific ailments, with the trials for each disease
organized by states. People searching for a specific
clinical trial should find it quickly here, especially
if they suffer from a common ailment. On a recent day,
there were 423 clinical trials underway for hypertension,
73 for H.I.V. and 69 for rheumatoid arthritis. Many
of the trials provided an E-mail response box for speedy
enrollment.
O.K. You're not sick, just short on rent money. CenterWatch
may still be for you. Many of the trials pay stipends
and some of the medical procedures are non-invasive.
For example, researchers at Hill Top Research Inc. in
Birmingham, Ala., are paying up to $250 for women volunteers
for an acne study. If you don't qualify, there are over
21 other clinical trials for acne that are recruiting
patients.
The listings on this site are exhaustive. There are
even clinical trials for children. Boys and Girls 12
years old or older can earn $160 by taking an investigational
medication for strep throat at the Allergy and Asthma
Institute in Louisville, KY.
CenterWatch has become a crucial tool for some patients
to come to terms with their illness. Women who have
had mastectomies can take a drug at the Pain Trials
Center in Boston as part of a study to manage pain from
that surgery. 'One reason our site has become popular,
I think, is because people are less trusting of a single
medical opinion' said Mr. Getz. 'They are taking more
responsibility for their health education.'"
The New York Times, September 10, 1998
In 2005, CROs generated about $14 billion in revenue worldwide, according
to Thomson CenterWatch, an industry trade publication. By 2010, CROs are projected
to generate $25.9 billion worldwide.
The News & Observer, October 20, 2007
Drug trials loom larger
Spate of recalls spurs pharmaceutical companies to err on side of caution
Thomson CenterWatch statistics quoted regarding the size of the clinical trials
market in a story on the growing number of drugs entering clinical trials.
By Sabine Vollmer, Staff Writer, January 27, 2005
Reference: To Find Out More, Pick Your Rx
No matter what your question is, theres
probably a book or Web site that has an answer.
Heres a healthy guide to a selection of
the best around...
www.centerwatch.com
The CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service maintains a
list of current experiments, a matching service and profiles
of the centers conducting research for potential participants,
researchers and interested observers.
Newsweek, Fall & Winter 2001
"If you decide to join a drug study, talk with
your physician first and then be prepared to do
a little digging to find one that's right for
you. For general information start with CenterWatch's
Web site, which lists clinical trials for everything
from diabetes to sinus infections."
Newsweek, October 19,
1998
As a result, annual CRO industry revenues have skyrocketed from around $7bn in 2001 to a
whopping $17.8bn today, and according to Thomson CenterWatch, CROs played a substantial
role in 64 per cent of Phase I, II and III trials in 2003, compared to only 28 per cent
ten years earlier.
Outsourcing-Pharma, October 3, 2007
HPV vaccine looks promising against cancer
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach, FL USA
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
CenterWatch.com noted as a resource for information about a specific clinical
trial that was discussed in the story.
Clinical Trials: What patients know and need to know
Mainstream newspapers do a good job of explaining the specifics of clinical trials,
according to a study by Thomson CenterWatch.
Pharmaceutical Executive, October 2005
Medical testing suffers from a lack of volunteers
The difficulty of finding subjects "is the number-one roadblock to getting
drug trials done."
Thomson CenterWatch statistics quoted and management interviewed in
an in-depth article on the difficulty the drug industry is having
finding volunteers for clinical trials.
By Virginia A. Smith, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer, April 06, 2004
"Volunteer for a clinical study: You might be
a part of the control group that gets the current
treatment, says Dr. Smith. But you might also
be a part of the group that is getting a treatment
that scientists think may be better than anything
else available. And you could get your diagnostic
tests free or at a reduced cost. For a comprehensive
listing of clinical studies by disease, call CenterWatch
in Boston at 617-948-5100 or check out their Web
site: www.centerwatch.com."
Prevention Magazine, April
1999
A Shrinking Target
Clinical trials are taking longer, and costing more, as competition for patients heats up
By Clare Kittredge
The Scientist Magazine
April 11, 2005
Volume 19, Issue 7, pg. 46
Thomson CenterWatch statistics quoted and management interviewed in an in-depth article on patient recruitment.
"Since 1995 the CenterWatch Web site (www.centerwatch.com)
has allowed study centers to post trials meeting FDA guidelines;
prospective patients scroll through thousands of offerings to
search for a match. If you don't find a study taking place near
you, you can sign up to receive an e-mail alert whenever a new
listing is posted. There's also a section with background information
for readers who need to know what to ask before enrolling in
a trial. "
Tufts University Health and Nutrition letter,
appearing in Reader's Digest January 1999
It’s hard to get firm numbers, but the Boston-based medical information and publishing firm
CenterWatch, which tracks clinical trials, estimates that more than 40,000 are in progress,
involving more than 20 million subjects. There are very few documented examples in which research
subjects were seriously harmed. Looking at studies that led to the approval of one-third of all new
drugs between 1987 and 2001, CenterWatch found that one in 30 subjects experienced a serious side effect.
Reason Online, October 2007
According to the 2005 Thomson CenterWatch survey of 612 investigative sites in the United States,
the single most important attribute to a successful sponsor-site relationship was organization and
preparation, followed by well-trained monitors, good protocol design, and responsive communications.
R&D Directions, September 2006
These experimental therapies are available only though clinical trials at participating research
centers locally and nationally. (For more information about enrolling in a trial
go to http://centerwatch.com and http://clinicaltrials.gov).
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, March 29, 2006
TIn 2005, CROs generated about $14 billion in revenue worldwide, according to Thomson CenterWatch,
an industry trade publication. By 2010, CROs are projected to generate $25.9 billion worldwide.
By Sabine Vollmer, Raleigh News & Observer, October 24, 2007
"Net holds wide range of quality"
Dr. John Renner, founder of the Consumer Health Institute in
Independence, Mo., tracks medical misinformation on line. 'Most
stuff on the Internet is good," he says, but adds there
are "quacks" on line as well. "Who said snake
oil was gone? It's back and it's at 14.4 (kilobits per second)."
His "best" medical sites:
CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service - lists
ongoing research trials
International Cancer Information Center - A National
Cancer Institute database
Online Health Network - has hot
topics, physician Q&As...
USA Life, March 6, 1996
Costs, regulations move more drug tests outside USA
By Julie Smith, USA Today Web Site, Health and Behavior, May 16, 2005
Thomson CenterWatch statistics quoted regarding the number of clinical trials
going on world wide in a story on the current trend of pharmaceutical companies
moving their human drug testing outside the US.
Health Online: Drug Deals More than 9.5 million prescriptions
were filled over the Internet last year, reports Cyber Dialogue.
Many health sites link to sellers such as Planetrx.com, DrugEmporium.com,
drugstore.com, vitalRx.com, yesrx.com, and prioritypharmacy.com.
The Web also offers hundreds of sites to buy drugs from overseas
pharmacies (30 tablets of Amoxicillin costs $25 here vs. $12
for 100 tablets overseas, according to one service). Yes, it's
legal to buy drugs overseas for personal use if they're approved
for use here and you have a valid prescription. Caution: Some
overseas sites might send counterfeit, addictive, out-of-date
or poorly labeled medication, leaving an injured patient with
no recourse.
www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety.htm
After troubles with the diabetes drug Rezulin and the
diet drugs Fen/Phen, consumers want to be on top of
the latest drug safety information. This is the site
to find out about recalls, market withdrawals, labeling
changes and other safety notifications ordered by the
FDA.
www.centerwatch.com
A listing of 41,000 industry- and government-sponsored
clinical trials, plus drugs recently approved by the FDA.
USA Weekend, June 2-4, 2000
When Drug Trials Go Wrong, Patients Have Little Recourse
By Sarah Rubenstein, The Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2008
World-wide, the number of industry trials rose to 59000 in 2006 from 40000 in 2000,
according to an estimate from CenterWatch.
How to Find the Latest on Results of Clinical Trials
As Groups Debate Access to Research, Existing Sources of Information Are Growing
By Laura Landro, The Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2004; Page D1
Roche Launches Clinical Trial Registry, Results Database
By Anita Greil
Dow Jones Newswires, appearing on Wall Street Journal Online
April 15th, 2005
Story covering new clinical trials registry and trial results
database developed by Thomson CenterWatch for Roche, as well as
coverage of other actions taken by pharmaceutical companies in
regards to the transparency of information about their
clinical trials.
Encore (A Special Report) --- Playing Guinea Pig: More clinical trials need older volunteers; Should you raise your hand?
Kelly Greene
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
If you do decide to participate in a study, where do you start? First, you
must sign an "informed consent" form, which spells out the risks.
Unfortunately, about 20% of the people signing such forms "don't
even bother to read them," says Ken Getz, president of Thomson
CenterWatch in Boston, a unit of Toronto-based media company
Thomson Corp. that provides online listings of clinical trials.
And three-quarters of the 1,565 study volunteers who responded
to a CenterWatch survey in 2002 said they didn't know what questions
to ask before enrolling in a study.
Mr. Getz advises asking the research center conducting the
study to disclose any ethical concerns considered by the review
board that approved the trial. Each study's sponsor must assemble
what's called an institutional review board, made up of doctors
and scientists charged with making sure that the study is performed
safely, following federal guidelines.
The Wall Street Journal, August 2003
For those battling an illness, getting access to information about the latest
treatments and medical procedures is crucial. This site, produced
by a publisher of books and newsletters for the pharmaceutical
and biotechnology industries, lists dozens of clinical trials
taking place at medical centers around the country. While half
the site is geared towards those in the health-care industry,
the "patient resources" section is clear and easy to use. Visitors
can search for clinical trials by disease. The trials are further
broken down by location, so patients can find a trial close
to their home. For example, the site lists 151 trials for the
treatment of depression. Details of some of the trials are skimpy
however. Often, the site doesn't detail which medications are
being tested, how long the trial lasts or possible side effects
of treatment. The site does give contact information for the
trial, so interested patients can follow up. Users can sign
up to receive e-mail messages notifying them when a new trial
related to a specific illness is added to the site.
WSJ.com
"The Internet is sprouting a rash of Web sites and joint
ventures that seek to help remedy the prioblem by reaching the
millions of consumers who surf the Web for health-care information.
CenterWatch Inc., Boston, says it attracts 250,000 unique visitors
a month to its CenterWatch.com Web site, where it lists about
41,000 clinical trials."
| Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2000
|
Is a Trial Right for You? Where to Find Answers, Resources
By January W. Payne
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 19, 2005; HE01
CenterWatch.com noted as a resource for patients looking for clinical trials information.
Using Humans as Guinea Pigs
Now, more than 75 percent of all clinical trials paid for by pharmaceutical companies are done
in private test centers or doctors' offices, according to CenterWatch, a Boston compiler of
clinical trial data…As drug companies try to get new drugs to market, time is literally money.
They lose as much as $5 million a day waiting to get approval of new medications, according to
CenterWatch.
By David Evans, Michael Smith and Liz Willen, The Washington Times, January 8, 2006
Only three months after deciding to create an electronic clinical trial registry and
results database, Roche launched http://www.roche-trials.com on April 15, 2005. The website
is provided by CenterWatch.
Yahoo! Finance, Biz.yahoo.com, May 22, 2006
Health Sites You Can Trust Best Clinical Trials Resource
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CenterWatch: Clinical Trials Listing Service www.centerwatch.com
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CenterWatch is a nexus for resources related to the clinical
testing of drugs, with separate sections devoted to patients and
research professionals. The site provides in-depth background
about how clinical trials are conducted and regulated. Those interested
in participating in programs can search the database of national
and international trials. Drugs newly approved by the FDA are
indexed by disease.
By Catherine Calacanis October 2000,
YAHOO Internet Life - Gold Star Sites
"CenterWatch is not a cancer site per se, but it does have
the most comprehensive database for clinical research. You
can access several hundred listings of current trials for,
say, breast cancer or bone marrow transplants. Links send
you directly to the sites of the medical centers where the
tests are taking place, and you can join mailing lists that
notify you when new treatments become available."
Yahoo! Internet Life, September 1999
Incredibly Useful Site for 2/9/98
Clinical Trials Testing, Testing
If you or a loved one is suffering from a serious illness,
and your hopes are focused on new developments in its treatment
and cure, Clinical Trials might not be the light at the end
of the tunnel, but it's certainly a flashlight to help you
find the way. CenterWatch, a
clinical trials listing service, has accumulated a database
of all the current trials of new drugs and treatment methodologies
currently ongoing in the U.S. Whether it's cancer your concerned
about, or cardiovascular diseases, or problems involving gastroenterology,
neurology, psychiatry, or any dozen others, you'll find it
here. Just choose the general area of concern, then narrow
your way down until you find trials germane to the illness
you're interested in. Current clinical trials are listed by
geographical location, so that you can either follow the progress.
get in touch with those running the protocols, or even try
to become a subject in the test. Either way, this can be an
invaluable, possibly lifesaving, site to explore.
ZDNet, 2//9/98
In 25 years the number of therapeutic trials has multiplied by seven. Clinical trials
companies are operating on every continent. The sector's turnover is growing by nearly 20% a year
and reached $15.4bn in 2006.
Source: Thomson CenterWatch analysis of company reports, 2006.
Znet, June 8, 2007