May 20th marks the date in 1747, when James Lind, a Scottish surgeon aboard the HMS Salisbury, famously tested his theory that acids could prevent the symptoms of scurvy on the sailors on his ship. Thus performing the first clinical trial.
Today, the clinical trials process is highly regulated and involves vast groups of researchers, trial staff, patients and able-bodied human beings, around the world, ensuring the best patient outcomes, and making the introduction of new therapies safe. We have progressed.
Of course, COVID-19 has shown that we can still optimize our processes, if we really put our minds to it. Although the circumstances were clearly singular, the amazing success of the development and approval of multiple COVID-19 vaccines within the short space of a year sets the bar for how we run clinical trials in the future.
Official website of International Clinical Trials Day >
But how would James Linds' clinical trial be seen, if it were run today?
Clinerion's Douglas Drake looks at the original clinical trial through a modern lens >