Clinical Trials and Our Community

Many of the standard heart treatments and medications used today at Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute were once part of a clinical trial. Clinical trials are vital to the health of our communities and our society. Without them we couldn’t test vaccines, discover new treatments, eradicate diseases and advance health care overall. 

Clinical trials are the final phase of investigating new medications and treatments for use in humans. By the time they get to clinical trials, medications and treatments have already been studied for many years, and perhaps even tested on animals. Drugs, vaccines, screening methods and devices that have made it to clinical trials and phases are looking promising and have so far proven to be relatively safe.

If your physician or cardiologist asks you to participate in a clinical trial, it’s important to know the facts.

All clinical trials and phases are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Each trial must also have an Institutional Review Board (IRB) made up of independent physicians, scientists and laymen that oversee the trial.

The clinicians who conduct the trials are required to be transparent with participants regarding the treatment they’ll receive and any potential side effects, to the best of their knowledge.

Trials follow strict scientific standards to protect the participants and result in reliable and useful data.

Deciding to participate in a clinical trial is a very personal decision. Work with your physician to determine if it’s right for you.

Each year, millions of people participate in clinical trials. While a few might experience a breakthrough medicine or treatment, clinical trials most often benefit future patients; however, they are also valuable in many other ways:

• Gather data to make better informed health care decisions
• Discover new ways to treat developing diseases
• Advance health care overall
• Help patients weigh side effects against benefits
• Provide data on how treatments will interact with people

Cardiology clinical trials focus on many aspects of heart health including coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, congenital heart disease, heart attacks and heart failure.

At LVHN, we are committed to providing our patients and community with the best possible care and treatments. Our research scientists are integrated with our clinical departments for a comprehensive, collaborative approach to research. We are proud of our long history of participation in clinical trials and phases that benefit the health of everyone in our community.