Preparing the bloodwork for any clinical research purpose is meticulous work. — Photo from pexels.com
IT can safely be stated that a country’s standing in the world of international medical and scientific research has attained maturity when major pharmaceutical brands put their faith into its institutions when it comes to clinical research.
Clinical research is a branch of healthcare science that evaluates the safety, efficacy and effectiveness of medications, medical devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for human use.
Unlike laboratory research, it directly involves human participants to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat illnesses.
Last Wednesday, I completed my three-year long medical research clinical trial after my 16th visit to a local facility, and I was given a clean bill of health.
On May 25, 2023, I volunteered for a clinical trial of a new experimental drug to treat an ailment that was discovered in the aftermath of the after-effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.
I was not in any way afflicted, but I had been selected based on the pharmaceutical company’s very-narrow criteria, which could potentially arise for ‘any future cases’.
Apparently I was one in just 100 volunteers in our region – I was not even sure if this had meant Sarawak, Malaysia or Asia.
As I had voluntarily offered my services and had signed off a non-disclosure agreement, I am unable to give more details about the company or the specific purpose of the drug, or any other information about the trial and the product.
What I will state is that it is a highly reputable institution, and is staffed with the best – indeed, the ‘crème de la crème’ of its specialist medical practitioners, equipped with ultra-modern equipment and facilities.
I can share with you, dear reader, my personal experience of the process and also my own observations and opinions.
Firstly, just to clarify for those unsure of the term of being a guinea pig, it is a popular idiom referring to a person used as a test subject for new ideas, products or methods.
It signifies someone trying something first to observe results, rooted in 18th-century laboratory research.
All test subjects will be divided into two categories: one group will receive the actual real ‘new drug’ into their system; the second will receive a ‘placebo’ as a control.
Neither the person administering nor the recipient is told which is which.
Three years ago, I had mine injected.
My body’s reaction to it then was rather dramatic; within 24 hours, I had to be admitted to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching, where I was in the ward for eight days.
In the NDA, besides not being allowed to disclose any details of the ‘trial drug and the administration thereof’, I had also signed away my personal rights to any claims arising out of ‘any after-effects of any nature’ pertaining to it.
This effectively meant that I could not claim any personal compensation for any ill effect or harm – or even death should it come to that.
However, I cannot fault the superlative medical care and treatment rendered to me by all the specialists, doctors and nurses, especially from the Internal Medicine (Medical) Ward of the SGH, and the attention and various interventions that eventually saw me through the ordeal.
The medical team was also extremely cautious to not place the affliction that I had as ‘an after-effect of the new drug on trial’ as they did not ‘unmask’ whether what was given to me was actually the drug or a placebo.
To this day, it remains a mystery.
The eventual diagnosis given to me was that I had a condition called ‘metabolic acidosis’; when I looked it up, it meant ‘ a serious condition characterised by excessive acid build-up in the blood or excessive loss of bicarbonate, typically resulting in an arterial pH below 7.35’.
In June 2023, I had returned and resumed my guinea-pig status and continued to be monitored with regular blood samples being taken from me for the bloodwork as per required for the trial.
At every single consultation of my 16 regular visits as part of the trial, it was really great being given the ‘VIP’ treatment: didn’t have to join any queues, no waiting time, and certainly the medical staff were most friendly, polite and always cheerful.
My only problem was that I had very ‘shy’, tiny veins, which meant that drawing blood could be a most trying and long-suffering affair – for both the drawer and the drawee!
It also appeared that only certain senior and qualified doctors and specialists were allowed to attend to us, and be consulted for these trial cases, and they were all very thorough.
I heard from an informed source that the institutions entrusted with conducting and carrying out these clinical trial researches were being very well-compensated for each and every case.
To me, this is excellent as it means that these specialist centres are being properly and adequately funded, and this contributes to their ability to maintain and retain the very best in qualified specialist staffing, and also to the procurement of the most modern and best medical equipment.
I feel extremely honoured to have been able to contribute in some small way towards the advancement of our medical scientific research capabilities of our beloved Sarawak, and I would certainly urge any of you, if given the opportunity and the chance, to sign up as well.
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