Ever wonder how much it costs to develop a new drug? The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development estimates US$2.6 billion. But how accurate is this figure?
In the world of big data, the amount of paperwork for consent is old hat.
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Statistics are valuable tools for researchers - but may not be as reliable as we think. New research suggests the widely-used P value is inappropriate.
There are ways non-scientists can assess if the research underlying big claims about cancer cures stacks up.
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Cancer is big news; we often hear of some kind of cure for some version of the illness. But whether it’s a “natural cure” or a promising molecule on its way to becoming a new medicine, there are ways non-scientists…
Tourism isn’t just for sunshine and beaches. It can also be for unapproved medical interventions.
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Medical tourism is the practice of seeking medical care across international borders. Countries with established medical sectors like the US, Europe, India and Thailand have been traditional destinations…
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In the last six months Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan and, most recently, Arizona have passed “right to try” laws that allow terminally ill patients to access treatments that have only passed…
Vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea are common chemotherapy side effects that can be so severe that patients may refuse further treatment.
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It’s unthinkable to give a placebo to someone to treat their cancer, but could we use one to treat chemotherapy’s well-known side effects? Unfortunately, we may never be able to answer this question because…
Disease can affect any person, rich or poor. While your bank balance can’t really protect you from getting sick, it could potentially buy you – and many other patients – access to a better treatment for…
Pills ok during pregnancy? We can’t know if we don’t study them.
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Imagine being pregnant while having a chronic health condition such as diabetes, hypertension, depression or asthma, or being diagnosed with an illness while pregnant. Amazingly, your doctor may not know…
What if an experimental treatment seems to hold a terminal patient’s only hope?
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On November 4, the state of Arizona will decide whether to join Colorado, Missouri, Louisiana and Michigan in passing so-called right to try laws. If passed, the “Arizona Terminal Patients’ Right To Try…
The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has emerged rapidly and evolved with alarming ease. An unprecedented number of lives have been lost and WHO predictions are that the virus will infect in excess…
Researchers are cautiously optimistic about a new treatment for Parkinson’s.
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Affiris, a biotech company based in Austria, and the Michael J Fox Foundation, have announced the latest results of a vaccine they have been developing to treat Parkinson’s disease. Following the first…
The idea of research reducing health-care costs may seem counter intuitive because it often leads to the development of expensive drugs, technologies, and treatments.
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Quality health care can be expensive and medical research has traditionally been thought to play a role in making it so. But research can also help cut the cost of medical care. The notion of research…
Clinical research is going global. The number of trials conducted in countries like India and China is steadily growing and a significant proportion of marketing applications for new drugs in countries…
Gamers around the world are snapping up a new device that promises to give them an edge on competitors by boosting their gaming focus. It is certainly easy to see the appeal of being able to improve your…
For 60 years, clinical trials have provided the gold standard of evidence for showing whether new treatments work and whether they are safe before they are rolled out on a large scale. Trials are used…
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney