Rheumatology Network Debates Barriers To Rhumatic Research For New Treatments

UBM Medica US, a company that delivers integrated and strategic communications solutions, recently announced that Rheumatology Network, an online network dedicated to rheumatologists, will feature a debate with experts on the barriers to investigation into new treatments for rheumatic diseases such as lupus.

The topic is based on an article on Rheumatology Network entitled “The ‘Demise’ of Rheuma Drug Trials: What Next?” that talks about a network of doctors who had been collaborating with each other and doing rheumatology research in Canada that closed up shop, explaining the reasons why the researchers found it impossible to carry on testing novel treatments for rheumatic diseases. In the article, several experts across the country warn about problems regarding “unacceptable protocols that require patients to change treatments that may appear to be succeeding; criteria that make the population under study quite different from the kinds of patients that doctors actually see (and therefore may make the study irrelevant to most of them); onerous regulations that make clinical research a money-losing proposition for most doctors,” as noted in a press release.

A reader commenting on this article, explained why clinical trials for diseases such as Lupus have become a nightmare when it comes to logistics: “Funding academics to show lack of efficacy of medications that clearly work has already happened, [it is] almost impossible as a solo rheumatologist to serve the health needs of my community and also devote time to [clinical trials].”

The rheumatic diseases include a broad range of diseases such as lupus, arthritis and gout, affecting the joints and causing chronic pain.

The problems being discussed in the article and debate affect other problems that are not exclusive to rheumatology. However, they are a particular challenge for rheumatic diseases since these are rare diseases that lack safe and effective treatments.

Through both education and information, the UBM Medica US is committed to improve the effectiveness of healthcare and provides unbiased, practical clinical and business information for payers, providers and physicians so that the quality of the care available to the patients in the whole world, can be improved.