Clinical Trials

At Novartis, we are determined to help people around the world who live with many different conditions to improve and extend their lives; a critical part of this ambition is our programme of clinical research.

Clinical trials are fundamental to the development of new medicines and help to enhance the quality of, or even prolong life,1 whilst progressing scientific understanding and enabling earlier access to new, innovative medicines.2,3 Clinical research can also provide a vital ‘life-line’ and an alternative treatment approach for many patients.3

Clinical trials are at the foundation of some of the biggest medical advances seen over the last four to five decades. Novartis is committed to using science-based innovation to improve research and develop innovative medicines for some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases, with many studies being conducted in the UK.

Novartis UK’s Head of International Clinical Trials Organisation

CLINICAL TRIALS; THE FACTS

Without clinical trials, many of the medicines we rely on today would not exist.1 Clinical trials ensure that medicines are generally well tolerated and effective,  and that new, innovative treatments are continuously being developed for people with different illnesses.1,2

At Novartis, we understand that involvement in clinical trials might naturally create apprehension amongst patients and their families, friends or carers. We have listened to common queries regarding clinical trials and this page provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. 

NOVARTIS AND CLINICAL TRIALS

At Novartis, we are committed to progressing scientific research and are the leading commercial clinical trials sponsor in the UK.4 Through our research, which currently includes over 760 phase 1-4 studies globally,4 advances for many diseases have been made possible, giving people around the world alternative and improved treatment options.

As a company, we value the role of patients and the experienced insight they can bring to our medical research. We seek input into the design of patient-facing materials and in some cases, we invite patient input into the trial design as well, to ensure they are practical for the participant.

We pride ourselves on the transparency of our clinical study information and their results on our dedicated website, http://www.novartisclinicaltrials.com. On this website, more than 1,790 results from Novartis clinical trials have been made available.5

For more information about all ongoing clinical trials, both in the UK and worldwide, please visit:

 

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT NOVARTIS: OUR WORK IN NUMBERS

 

 

At Novartis, we strive to improve the practice of medicine and are committed to our continued investment in scientific research. As a company, we are proud to support more clinical studies in the UK than any other commercial organisation, helping people with many different diseases benefit from innovative medicines quicker.  Click here to view our work in numbers.


 

our-promise-to-patients-image

OUR PROMISE TO PATIENTS

At Novartis, we are dedicated to developing innovative treatments that help to improve the lives of people with serious diseases. It is crucial that patients participating in Novartis clinical studies know what to expect when supporting us – for further information, click here.


CLINICAL TRIALS IN PHASES 6,7,8

Clinical trials are divided into phases, ranging from 1 to 4, also written as phase I-IV. Earlier phases determine the safety of a treatment and any potential side effects, while later stages examine whether a new medicine is more effective than existing therapies.

  Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV
Number of participants 20-80 participants 100-300 participants 1,000-3,000 participants Thousands of participants
Duration Up to several months Up to two years One – four years One year +
Purpose Investigates the safety profile of the drug and aims to identify a safe dose that can be used in humans  Investigates the safety of the drug at the dose selected for use in humans and looks for signs of efficacy Investigates both safety and efficacy of the selected dose, often comparing against standard treatment 

Investigates long-term effectiveness, benefits and cost effectiveness of treatment

 

 

CONTINUING SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION

Novartis is committed to discovering new ways to improve and extend people's lives; a critical part of achieving this mission is through our extensive clinical trial programme.
On average, it takes 12 years to develop a new medicine9 and we continue to use science-based innovation to address some of society's most challenging healthcare issues.
Some of the exciting research we have conducted has led to many great advances in medicine, Examples where we are proud to have changed the outcome for patients include:

  • The significant reduction in the number of blindness registrations due to wet age-related macular degeneration10
  • People with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) are now living disease free for many years
  • Many people with severe psoriasis can live with clear skin 

 

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further questions about clinical trials, please visit the Clinicaltrials.gov website.
If you have experienced a medical side effect related to a Novartis product, please report it using the Novartis online system. If you experience any problems with the site, you can telephone +44 (0)1276 698370.
If you need to report a Product Quality Complaint relating to a Novartis product, please email [email protected].

 

REFERENCES

  1.   NHS National Institute for Health Research. Understanding clinical trials. Available at: http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.ukcrc-ctu.org.uk/resource/resmgr/2)_understanding_clinical_tr.pdf. Last accessed November 2016
  2.   Sarah Cannon Research Institute. Clinical Trials FAQs. Available at: http://sarahcannonresearch.co.uk/for-patients/clinical-trials-faqs/. Last accessed November 2016
  3.   Macmillan. Benefits and risks of taking part in a trial. Available at: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/treating/clinical-trials/can-and-should-i-take-part/benefits-and-risks.html#3657. Last accessed November 2016
  4.   Novartis: Global TrialTrove. 2016.
  5.   Novartis: Partnering for better patient outcomes. 2015.
  6.   NHS Choices. Clinical trials. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Clinical-trials/Pages/Introduction.aspx Last accessed November 2016
  7.   Cancer Research UK. Phases of clinical trials Available at: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/what-clinical-trials-are/phases-of-clinical-trials Last accessed November 2016
  8.   ECMC. What are clinical trials? http://www.ecmcnetwork.org.uk/what-are-clinical-trials. Last accessed November 2016
  9.   ABPI. Developing new medicines. Available at: http://www.abpi.org.uk/industry-info/new-medicines/Pages/default.aspx. Last accessed November 2016
  10.   Novartis UK. World Sight Day 2016. Available at: https://www.novartis.co.uk/stories/education-awareness/world-sight-day-2016. Last accessed November 2016

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