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Archive for the ‘News’ Category

New Clinical Trials Being Conducted by CNS in Orlando

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Clinical Neuroscience Solutions Healthcare (CNS) conducts clinical trials in Orlando, Florida and aspires to improve people’s quality of life worldwide by producing and researching safe and efficient drugs and treatment methods. CNS focuses on a wide spectrum of diseases and medical conditions such as chronic back pain, Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, diabetes and mental disorders. Staffed by a team of professional nurses, lab technicians, doctors and more, CNS guarantees thorough and attentive medical research, testing and patient care.

CNS trials currently enrolling participants are being conducted to research treatments for and better understand the following conditions: adult and pediatric attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, adult and pediatric depression, diabetes, fatigue, female sexual arousal disorder and hypertension. CNS has been conducting clinical studies since 1996. Currently, CNS has three research centers located in Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida and Memphis, Tennessee. CNS has conducted 600 clinical trials and has succeeded in attaining Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for 40 medications tested.

Each of the three research centers is fully staffed with doctors and medical and research professionals who specialize in neurological, medical and psychiatric disorders and conditions. In order to discover new treatments and drugs and bring them to the market through FDA approval, CNS Healthcare partners with reputable pharmaceutical companies and budding biotechnology companies. Novel new drugs tested by CNS Healthcare and ultimately FDA approved and marketed are the following: Abilify®, Adderall XR®, Cymbalta®, Depakote®, Focalin®, Focalin® XR, Geodon®, Geodon® IM, Intuniv™, Kapvay™, Lamictal®, Lexapro®, Lunesta®, Luvox CR®, Lyrica®, Oleptro®, Paxil®, Pristiq™, Reminyl™, Risperdal®, Risperdal® Consta®, Savella®, Seroquel®, Silenor®, Strattera®, Symbyax®, Viibryd™, Vivitrol®, VyvanseTM, Wellbutrin XL®, Zoloft®.

Clinical trial participants receive some financial compensation for their time and travel. Each patient is closely monitored and given free professional health care in exchange for his voluntary participation in the clinical trial. Health insurance is unnecessary for trial participation. CNS researches the following medical and psychiatric conditions: Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia nervosa, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder (manic depression), chronic pain syndrome, depression, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, epilepsy, erectile dysfunction, female sexual arousal disorder, fibromyalgia, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), heartburn/GERD, hypertension, incontinence/overactive bladder, primary insomnia, migraine headache, mild cognitive impairment, obesity, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), oppositional defiant disorder in children (ODD), panic disorder (panic attacks), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and social phobia (social anxiety disorder).

CNS is committed to maintaining patient confidentiality and privacy. Patient safety is of key importance to the staff at CNS, and study participants are encouraged to ask questions and report their experiences, feelings and symptoms. CNS researches drugs and treatments through their three phases of development and in the fourth phase so as to attain more information about the drug or treatment even after it has been FDA approved for marketing and prescriptions.

Clinical Trials in Orlando, FL – Avail Clinical Research Overview

Friday, January 6th, 2012

Clinical research being done today has helped to develop new medications which have vastly improved the quality of life for many people. Participating in a clinical study can be a great option and not just for people who have a disease or condition. There are a broad range of clinical trials being conducted near Orlando at Avail Clinical Research facility.

Have you been diagnosed with diabetes? If yes, then participating in a clinical trial in Orlando can provide you with access to state of the art treatment and physician care. The range of different conditions that Avail Clinical Research focuses on is incredible. There are clinical trials enrolling for Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, hepatitis B and C, constipation, COPD, osteoporosis, and overactive bladder just to name a few. Their highly qualified staff has expertise in a very diverse range of medical fields, so they can certainly handle a lot.

The Avail staff includes a team of clinical research coordinators assigned to every trial. Their physicians are all board certified and they act as the primary investigators with oversight on all trials. Avail employs a laboratory staff, an entire recruiting call center on site, receptionist, and pharmacist. Avail Clinical Research’s goal is to conduct thorough phase I clinical trials in the Orlando area. To do this they need dedicated phase I staff, they are very well trained and committed to bringing people the best medical care possible.

Avail Clinical Research is primarily focused on conducting phase I clinical research trials. Their sister site in Birmingham, AL focuses on phase II-IV clinical trials, and this cooperative system works out really well benefiting both sites. Their research facility is state of the art and fully equipped to handle the wide array of clinical research trials that are being conducted here. They have the latest medical equipment on hand, and their staff is fully trained in utilizing these tools effectively. If that isn’t impressive enough, the facilities location could not be better. Located within DeLand’s medical community, two other major medical facilities are a stones throw away from Avail Clinical Research.

One of the most important aspects of running a successful clinical research facility is having the ability to effectively recruit the necessary numbers of people for your clinical research studies. Fortunately, Avail Clinical Research maintains an on-site recruiting call center team, which is fully capable of enrolling clinical trial volunteers on a continual basis. Potential volunteers include not only special patient populations but also healthy volunteers. Avail keeps an up to date database of over 50,000 prospective and past patients. With its dedicated and well-trained staff, Avail Clinical Research will always be able to meet its recruitment goals and help further modern medicine.

Understanding Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

The co-existence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); a disease for which there is no cure. Bronchitis and emphysema are both diseases in which the airways of the lungs become constricted, resulting in a decreased flow of oxygen, which causes dyspnea (shortness of breath). The cause of COPD is inhalation of tobacco smoke, gases and other particles damaging to the lungs.

Most patients with COPD suffer from dyspnea. Over time, COPD and dyspnea usually get increasingly worse, with the airflow in the lungs getting progressively lower. In addition to dyspnea, people with COPD may have chest tightness, rapid breathing, exhaustion, enlargement of the chest cavity, exhalation taking longer than inhalation, wheezing, active use of neck muscles to aid in breathing, and a persistent cough and/or mucus production in chronic bronchitis.

The narrowed airways in the lungs, as characterized by COPD, limit the lungs’ efficiency and cause dyspnea. People with COPD suffer from pressure and compression in the chest during exhalation instead of the normal and healthy expansion of the airways. For this reason, expiration (exhalation) may take longer for COPD patients than inhalation. Many COPD patients are incapable of finishing a breath out before needing to inhale again, the result being that some air from the first breath remains inside the lungs during the next breath. This discrepancy causes dynamic hyperinflation (an increased volume of air in the lungs), which causes shortness of breath as it becomes increasingly difficult for patients to breathe with their chest cavities already expanded.

The second cause of dyspnea in COPD is due to emphysema. In emphysema, the surface area accessible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs is decreased, causing a diminution in the rate of transfer of these gases during breathing. This diminution results in low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels in the body. People with emphysema commonly have increased breathing rates and/or take deeper breaths to compensate, but this is made difficult by the lungs’ oxygen flow limitation and/or dynamic hyperinflation.

Advanced COPD cases can include respiratory failure, causing patients’ lips to turn blue from the lack of oxygen in their blood. This lack of oxygen results in an overload of carbon dioxide, which may cause headaches, twitching, and drowsiness. In addition, extra work is required by the heart in order to pump adequate amounts of blood through the affected lungs. This strain on the heart could cause cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure), resulting in swelling of the ankles and dyspnea. Other symptoms of advanced COPD include weight loss and pulmonary hypertension.
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Avail Clinical Research is currently conducting a wide array of clinical studies near Orlando targeted towards certain conditions. You may be eligible to participate in one of our clinical trials and contribute to the development and approval of a new drug or treatment. As a participant, there is no cost to you at any point during the study and health insurance is not required. Browse our clinical trials being conducted now to find the study best suited for you.

Find Paid Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Clinical Trials & Research Studies in DeLand, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach & Orlando, FL

Inpatient and outpatient, 18-75, currently enrolling

Understanding Hepatitis C – Hep C Clinical Trials

Monday, December 26th, 2011

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily targeting the liver. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and is contracted through blood-to-blood contact. For the first twelve weeks after infectivity with HCV, most people do not suffer any symptoms, but for those who do, the symptoms experienced are commonly mild and seldom infer the proper diagnosis of hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C can lead to fibrosis, or scarring, of the liver and eventually liver cirrhosis.

Here are two currently enrolling Hep C clinical trials:

Hepatitis C – DeLand, FL – #32720 (inpatient)

Hepatitis C – DeLand, FL – #32720 (outpatient)

Manifestations of acute infection include flu-like symptoms, jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, decreased appetite and itchiness. About 10-60% of infected people have normalization of liver enzymes. Such individuals rid of the virus during the acute phase, as signified by normal levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) and spontaneous viral/plasma HCV-RNA clearance. Unrelenting infections are frequent and usually develop into chronic hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C is an HCV infection that lasts longer than six months. It is commonly clinically asymptomatic and accidentally discovered during routine physician check ups upon discovery and inspection of abnormally heightened liver enzyme levels. The rate at which liver scarring from hepatitis C progresses in individuals varies significantly, therefore making it very difficult to provide accurate estimates of individuals’ disease progression risks. Alcohol consumption, increased age, HIV co-infection and fatty liver cells are associated with faster HCV disease progression. Males have been found to have more rapid disease progression than females. Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C include fatigue, joint pain, itchiness, flu-like symptoms, nausea, inability to sleep, changes in appetite and depression. Symptoms impacting the liver don’t commonly show until there has been significant scarring of the liver.

Once hepatitis C has progressed to liver cirrhosis, decreased liver function and portal hypertension (increased pressure in the blood circulation of the liver) may cause the following symptoms: bruising and bleeding, ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen), jaundice and hepatic encephalopathy (cognitive impairment caused by a build-up of ammonia and other toxins that a healthy liver gets rid of). Cirrhosis can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and deathly varices (enlarged veins) in the abdomen and esophagus.

Treatment for hepatitis C involves a combination of an antiviral drug for 24 to 48 weeks and pegylated interferon-alpha-2a or pegylated interferon-alpha-2b.

Hepatitis C is rarely transmitted through sexual contact. The transmission of hepatitis C from a mother to her baby during birth (vertical transmission) is rare. Only a woman who is HCV-RNA positive at the time of delivery can transmit the disease to her baby, and the risk here is 6%.

Avail Clinical Research is currently enrolling participants ages 18-75 for inpatient studies on hepatitis C at its DeLand, Florida location. Additionally, Avail is also conducting outpatient studies on this disease. Browse our currently enrolling clinical trials to find out if you are eligible to participate. Participation in an Avail clinical study is free. You may be eligible to contribute to a richer understanding of hepatitis C and the development of a new drug or therapy by enrolling in one of Avail’s hepatitis C studies.

Local Org Gives Special Gift to Children with Cancer this Christmas

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Many children in the United States have been tragically diagnosed with some form of cancer. These kids deserve to have a chance at living a normal life. Through increased research being done in clinical trials in states like Florida, medical professionals hope that they can provide a better quality of life for these children and their families. This Christmas, Stop! Children’s Cancer, Inc. has made a donation of over $1 million to help children who have been diagnosed with cancer. This gift was given on Sunday December 11, to the University Of Florida College Of Medicine so that it could establish the Stop! Children’s Cancer Bonnie R. Freeman Clinical Trials Fund.

The generous donation was made during the 15th annual “Holiday Traditions: A Musical Celebration”, which is set up by Stop! Children’s Cancer, Inc. at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The donation of $1.05 million was accepted by the chief of the pediatric department at UF, Dr. William B. Slayton, and the department’s chair, Dr. Richard Bucciarelli. They announced that the donation is to be used to support ongoing clinical trials that will be conducted at the University under the direction of Dr. Slayton.

“Our goal is for every child at Shands to receive the best medicine that is known right now—to help them survive whatever they are going through”, stated Howard Freeman, Stop! Children’s Cancer’s co-founder after the announcement was made. Dr. Slayton added, “Stop! Children’s Cancer’s gift will fund a clinical trials coordinator, who will help UF open new trials and ensure the trials being done in the safest and most effective way. That means children will have more resources and options for cancer treatment at Shands Hospital at UF.”

Clinical Trials can provide participants with access to new cutting edge medicine and medical technology which could make a real difference in helping to treat their disease or condition. These clinical research trials take a lot of effort and require a very complex process to be followed in order to be conducted effectively. Donations like this one are necessary for clinical research to continue.

Howard Freeman founded Stop! Children’s Cancer with his daughter Bonnie in 1981. Sadly, Bonnie passed away back in 1983 at the age of 12 with leukemia, but her father is committed to carrying on her dream of helping children in the world who have been diagnosed with the disease. This is not the first time that Stop! has made a donation to UF’s College of Medicine. Since 1981, Stop! Children’s Cancer has donated close to $4 million to the school, and all funding has gone to increasing research efforts to find, prevent, and cure childhood cancer.

“All of the research funding we’ve provided in the past has been seed money for hard-core research, so this is the first time we are moving into translational research, where it’s actually going to be applied to a child,” said Laurel Freeman, Bonnie’s mother. “Hopefully, there will be a lot of positive outcomes from this money we are donating. We’re just really excited to see the shift happening.”

Dr. Slayton graduated from the College of Medicine at UF back in 1992. He specializes in studying the high-risk forms of leukemia and finding treatments for patients. He is excited to see the added benefits of the increased funding for their research at the college. Besides being able to conduct a greater number of clinical trials, participants will have access to treatments that they can get nowhere else.

The goal is that this clinical research will shed new light on the causes and risk factors for diseases like leukemia, which affect children around the world. These clinical trials could provide medicine with a new direction in treatment that could save many lives. Clinical research in Florida has taken another step forward, and our future is definitely looking brighter.

Comparing Type I Diabetes vs. Type II Diabetes

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Not all Diabetes are the same! Especially when looking into diabetes clinical trials, once must first understand the difference between the various types of diabetes.

Glucose is a vital form of sugar employed by the cells of the human body. The cells of the body obtain their needed glucose from the glucose made in the liver and muscles, as well as from the food that we eat. Insulin, a chemical made in the pancreas, is required for glucose to be absorbed by the cells. If an insufficient amount of insulin is produced, or if the insulin is not functioning properly, the glucose will not be taken as required by the cells, and as a result will build up in the blood stream. This build-up causes high blood sugar, which leads to pre-diabetes or Type I or Type II diabetes. The unfortunate chain of events can happen to people of all ages and with a variety of dietary habits.

Some people with diabetes do not experience any symptoms before their diagnoses. The test for diabetes involves a simple blood test to assess glucose levels, which will detect diabetes regardless of whether or not the patient is feeling symptoms. If a person experiences any of the following symptoms, he should consult his healthcare professional as it could be a sign of diabetes: severe thirst, frequent urination, severe hunger, exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, dry or itchy skin, slowly healing sores, tingling or numbness in the feet and/or blurred vision.

With regard to the source of Type I diabetes, this occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, and as a result the beta cells stop producing insulin. Type I diabetes (formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes) is usually diagnosed in children, teenagers and young adults.

Type II diabetes is a result of insulin resistance; a disorder in which the fat, muscle and liver cells do not properly use insulin. With Type II diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, the pancreas is forced to produce enough insulin to keep up with the increased insulin demand. However, over time the pancreas becomes incapable of secreting enough insulin after a person has eaten a meal and fills the blood stream with glucose. Lack of physical activity and obesity both increase a person’s risk of developing this type of diabetes.

Eating healthy and engaging in physical activity are ways to help prevent or treat diabetes. In addition, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check are advisable preventative and curative courses of treatment. A daily dose of aspirin and injecting insulin are common ways to treat diabetes for those already diagnosed with the disease.

Other forms of diabetes include Pre-diabetes and Gestational diabetes. Pre-diabetes results when the blood glucose levels are higher than they should be, but not high enough to qualify for a diabetes diagnosis. Patients with pre-diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and developing Type II diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes in the late stages of pregnancy caused by hormonal changes and/or a shortage of insulin. After the baby is born, gestational diabetes usually goes away and blood glucose levels return to more normal levels. Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing Type II diabetes later in later years.

The Importance of Participating in Clinical Trials

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Participants of clinical trials are the heroes that majorly aid in the development of biologics, new drugs and treatments from which the rest of the world can benefit. Each drug and medical treatment available on the market has been able to surface because of brave and willing clinical trial participants. It is because of these volunteers that countless people around the globe have been able to benefit from cures and ease of suffering. It is because of these courageous individuals that breakthrough drugs and medical treatments have hit the market. It is largely because of clinical trial participants that disease-causing death tolls in America have been majorly slashed, as much of the advancement is due to the investment in clinical research. It is because of clinical trials that diseases such as polio and measles have nearly been eradicated in the United States, as the development of preventative vaccines are due to these studies.

It is because of the immeasurable benefits that have come from clinical trials that funding has been poured in to trials so that more developments in medical research treatments, strategies and therapies could be developed. Without this funding, such breakthroughs would take years longer to implement. In fact, some would perhaps never come about at all.

Human involvement in clinical studies is crucial for medical researchers to be able to properly assess the efficacy and safety of new drugs and treatments. It is very important for the trials’ medical staff to have a large number of patients to observe in order to accurately form objective conclusions about treatments’ dangers and benefits. Without testing drugs and treatments on humans, doctors would not be able to know how the experimental care would perform on patients who need them.

The leading cause of death in the United States is atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Since the 1960s, the mortality rate for this disease has been cut nearly in half due to the findings of clinical trials. Trial studies have identified risk factors for heart disease, including obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, lack of exercise and hypertension, so that people could more vigilantly control these factors. The drugs, diagnostic tests, therapies and treatments developed by clinical trials (such as drugs that control arrhythmias, bypass surgery methods, balloon angioplasty and cardiac catheterization) have also majorly aided in the decrease of the disease’s mortality rate.

A sustained and enhanced clinical research effort is what will be behind any medical progress made in the next decades. Future research and experimentation will be based largely on what is found today in clinical trials, and what we know today is largely based on what we observed and studied in clinical trials a few decades ago. Advanced imaging technology, virtual screening techniques and more advanced tools will better enable doctors to research and understand diseases and the human body at large and even discover preventative treatments. All of these breakthroughs depend upon the participation of volunteers and ongoing funding of clinical trials.

Lupus Infographic

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011


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New RA Medication Sulfasalazine Progress: The Good & The Bad

Monday, October 24th, 2011

In my last blog I mentioned switching over to this new medication because I had stopped MTX (Methotrexate). I wanted to wait until I noticed significant changes before sharing an update post on how it was working out for me. It’s been a month now and I can officially say the pain in the mornings has subsided significantly, although I don’t think it’s at this maximum potential just yet! I have not experienced any side effects. The only thing I’ve been having trouble with is remembering to stay hydrated and drink as much water as possible. It’s hard to drink when I’m not thirsty so I’m trying to make improvements on that.

I was weary at first, as I read from others that this medication does take awhile to feel the full effects of relief. This was true for me, it took about a month before the pain started going away. It was a long and hard month that I did not enjoy. I had been using topical medications to help provide some relief during this time period but that still never felt like it was enough. It’s time like these when I have to face the reality of my Rheumatoid Arthritis. When I’m on medications that work I tend to just forget about my RA. Is that bad? Well I’m not so sure but these moments of relief keep me sane. Overall I am happy with Sulfasalazine so far and if it continues to treat me well I may never want to go back on MTX, not sure how the Rheumy would feel about that though.

Around two months ago I was no longer was eligible to receive state disability. I decided that I don’t feel like taking on social security again because I know that this time around that process would involve me having to find an attorney. So for now I’m stuck working in retail as much as I can without pushing myself too far. I have to be aware of my limits and know when I need to take an extra break to rest my feet. That’s the only body part that really starts to get sore when I am at work. I stay away from heavy objects that I know would cause strain on my hands and wrists. I have spoken to my managers a few times about getting me some sort of chair in my work area where I can rest if needed because I feel like it would be better then taking multiple breaks but that issue has yet to be resolved.

I still wish I was able to work 40 hours a week like a healthy person would. I know I need to find a job that better suits my needs but since my health insurance is currently with the company I work with now it’s hard for me to just up and leave. So for now I just have to be patient and pray that sooner or later I will find that opportunity I am looking for. I’m off to go take my Monday Enbrel shot. Stay tuned for my next update. I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!

Rheumatoid Arthritis Guest Blogger Rebecca for Achieve ClinicalGuest Blogger Bio
Name: Rebecca B.
Homebase:Moreno Valley, CA
Blog:http://skye-uruz.blogspot.com/
Diagosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjogren’s Syndrome

Wanting to Conceive & Stopping Methotrexate Medication | Part 2

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

My previous blog mentioned how I had stopped Methotrexate. I had been waiting for my appointment with my Rheumatologist. Well yesterday I met with him for the first time in a while! Insurance prices are just so expensive; I can’t wait till I finally have better health care. So during my appointment I went over with him what medications I was still on and which I had stopped. I really thought that he would be mad that I had stopped taking MTX (Methotrexate) without him knowing, but hey it’s my body right?

So I told him and he actually wasn’t upset after I explained my reasoning. I explained that I knew what I was doing and how long I should wait before conceiving a child, etc..  I had done my research beforehand to make sure I was in the clear (since I knew I couldn’t afford the extra doctor appointment to confirm my research) and wouldn’t be making any mistakes. Then he took a look at my joints in my hands, asked about my feet. I told him my feet always hurt even when on MTX and he said he would ask for x-rays but since I’m not sure if I am pregnant already he would hold off on that for now. So I am continuing with Enbrel unless I end up pregnant and he offered for me to take another medication called Sulfasalazine.

“Sulfasalazine is used to treat bowel inflammation, diarrhea (stool frequency), rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain in patients with ulcerative colitis, a condition in which the bowel is inflamed. Sulfasalazine delayed-release (Azulfidine EN-tabs) is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children whose disease has not responded well to other medications. Sulfasalazine is in a class of medications called anti-inflammatory drugs. It works by reducing inflammation (swelling) inside the body.”

He said this Sulfasalazine works similar to Methotrexate. I asked him about the side effects and he said it was less then MTX. So I told him that I would give it a try because this is safe to take if pregnant and he said I most likely will go into remission once I am pregnant. However the downside is that with this medicine I have to get blood drawn every six weeks. Which I hate doing! I have tattooes (that I can handle) but when it comes to blood being drawn it really freaks me out! Overall, it was a good appointment and I’m happy and eager to try this new medication to see how it works for me and how it will compare to Methotrexate. Hopefully I won’t wake up with flares in the mornings anymore.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Guest Blogger Rebecca for Achieve ClinicalGuest Blogger Bio
Name: Rebecca B.
Homebase:Moreno Valley, CA
Blog:http://skye-uruz.blogspot.com/
Diagosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjogren’s Syndrome