Clinical trials, or clinical studies, are research studies that are conducted to find out:
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if a treatment is effective (a treatment trial), or
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what happens to people who are affected with a disease and how they progress in relation to the treatments and interventions they receive (an observational trial).
For a disease like Huntington’s disease (HD), where there is currently no treatment that cures or slows the progression, clinical trials are the most important tool available for gathering objective information about whether an intervention works. Because of the contribution of hundreds of thousands of volunteers, the clinical trials process has proven its value in finding treatments for many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and infectious diseases.
We at the Huntington Project think that clinical trials will also lead to effective treatments against HD. But we can only accomplish this with the involvement of patients and family members affected by the disease.
This section of the website can help you learn more about whether you would like to participate in a clinical trial; and if so, what Huntington Study Group (HSG) trials are available or are on the horizon. Read these pages for more information on HSG trials:
Overview – here we answer many of your questions about clinical trials, particularly about clinical trials for Huntington’s disease.
Enrolling Soon – here you will learn about HD trials that will soon be underway. Links will provide more information about these studies.
Currently Enrolling – here you can check for HD trials that are enrolling subjects now. Links will take you to other web sites where you can learn more about the particular study, including the sites where it is being conducted and enrolling participants.
Enrollment Complete – here you can learn about trials that are still underway but are not enrolling any new subjects.
Completed Clinical Trials – this page gives an overview of some of the HSG trials that have been completed, including information about the status and/or results of those trials.