Clinical trials are an essential part of research that bridges the gap between promising discoveries in the lab and real-world treatments. There are clinical trials running around Australia for people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
See a list of current T1D clinical trials and studies.
What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are research studies testing any form of therapies, medical devices and technologies on real people. They help us understand if they are safe and effective at doing what they aim to.
All new treatments must go through clinical trials before they’re legally allowed to be made available to the public.
Why do we need clinical trials?
None of the treatments or technologies that we have today to help manage T1D would be available without clinical trials.
For example, the world’s first disease modifying therapy for T1D, teplizumab, was approved in 2022 by regulators in the US, thanks to evidence from several clinical trials showing the drug’s safety and effectiveness at delaying T1D. Now, clinical trials are testing beta cell replacement therapies and immunotherapies that could one day make T1D preventable or even curable.
Over 100 years ago people had to take insulin from pigs; now, we have a wide range of synthetic insulins available, all of which were rigorously tested in clinical trials. Insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and the hybrid closed loop technology that links them together also all went through extensive clinical trials. Clinical trials are truly essential for any advancements in T1D treatment.
What are different types of clinical studies?
A clinical study refers to any research that involves human volunteers. All clinical studies tell us important things about T1D and are crucial parts of developing new treatments and cures to improve life with T1D.
Clinical trials
In clinical trials (also known as intervention trials), participants are actively given a treatment. This treatment might be a medicine or a procedure, which is sometimes referred to as an intervention. Even interventions you may not think of as being ‘clinical’, such as education or exercise programs, are classified as clinical trials.
Observational studies
The other type of clinical study is an observational study, where researchers take data from participants in the form of biological samples or answers to surveys, without testing an intervention.
Learn some other words and phrases you might hear used – check out our clinical trials dictionary.
What’s involved in a clinical trial?
Exactly what’s involved in each clinical trial will differ based on the intervention being tested. Clinical trials can involve:
- travel to clinical trial sites (costs are often reimbursed)
- screening to make sure there aren’t any reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t take part
- attending a clinic to receive the intervention
- follow-up visits or calls to monitor how your body is reacting to the intervention.
Some clinical trials are conducted online, in the form of surveys or interviews, while others might involve travelling to hospitals or medical centres for interventions or checks.
What are the phases of clinical trials?
There are different stages of clinical trials designed to serve different purposes.
- Phase 1 clinical trials phases use a few participants and focus largely on the safety of the treatment and the best dose to give people.
- Phase 2 clinical trials test the treatment in a larger group of people, and are designed to understand how effective it is and whether it has any side effects.
- Phase 3 clinical trials compare the new treatment to what’s currently available, and explores how to integrate the treatment into the healthcare setting.
- Phase 4 clinical trials take place after the treatment has been approved, and monitor its efficacy in a real-world setting with a larger population.
Why should I take part in a clinical trial?
New treatments can’t become available without clinical trials and the people who volunteer for them. If you do choose to participate in one, you’ll be a vital part of bringing new treatments, technologies and cures for yourself and others living with T1D, now and in the future.
Read more about the benefits of taking part in a clinical trial.