Why Curewiki ?
Medical progress
Clinical trials allow participants to benefit from the latest scientific advances. This opportunity sometimes offers a new chance to cure or improve quality of life.
These participants also boost medical progress and help current and future patients.
Close to home
There are currently more than 2,000 new treatments in the final stages of development near you.
Take control of your health
Curewiki helps you identify and apply for clinical trials to access tomorrow’s medical treatments.
How does it work?
Clinical Trials
What is a Clinical Trial?
The clinical trial is the final step in the creation of a drug or treatment.
Involving patients, healthy volunteers or both, a clinical trial is one part of a long and careful research process.
A clinical trial explores whether a medical strategy, treatment or device is safe and effective for humans.
Why Clinical Trials are important?
Although all new drugs, treatments and devices are rigorously tested in the laboratory they must also go through clinical trials so more can be found out about their potential benefits or risks.
Clinical trials provide researchers with the opportunity to potentially find better treatments for others in the future, as well as offering hope for many people
Why participate in clinical trials?
As a patient volunteer:
– To help others
– To increase the number of treatment options available to you, including the newer ones
– To receive additional care and attention
As a healthy volunteer:
– To help others and move medicine forward
– There may be payment for participating
What are the benefits of being in a clinical trial?
– You may be given a treatment which isn’t available elsewhere and that is safer or works better than current treatment options.
– You could be helping others who may have the same condition in the future by advancing knowledge in that condition/disease
– You may increase the total number of therapeutic options available to you
– You may feel like you have more choice over your situation and are taking a more active role in your health
– You could gain access to newer, more innovative treatments, the possibility of additional care/ attention and more careful monitoring of your condition by your healthcare team
What are the potential risks?
– The new treatment may have unknown side effects or other risks, which may or may not be worse than those from existing treatments
– The treatment may not work for you, even though it works for others
– The treatment may not be as effective as current treatment options
– The impact it may have on your lifestyle, such as more frequent doctor visits and more tests
– You may not be given the study treatment, as some trials such as randomised clinical trials are designed in a way where you may not have a choice about which treatment you are given. If the trial is blinded, you (and maybe your doctor) will not be told which treatment you are getting
Who can participate in a clinical trial?
Both as a healthy volunteer or as a patient you can apply to participate in a clinical trial. Applying is not in itself a guarantee that you will be included in the clinical trial because the selection depends on your profile.
Also, if we find a recurring exclusion factor in your profile, we will let you know to avoid creating false expectations.
Do I get paid?
Patients are not allowed to be paid by law, but they may be reimbursed for travel and other expenses related to the trial. They also usually receive more intensive follow-up by medical staff.
Healthy volunteers can be paid.
Are there any clinical trials near me?
Yes, thousands of clinical trials take place every year in your country.
Sign up now (free)
What to expect if you are enrolled in a clinical trial?
If you take part in a clinical trial you will be monitored regularly during and after the trial. You may find your clinical trial involves you having a number of tests, appointments and some things which you may need to do at home. The tests that you will need to have will depend on the disease or condition that you have, and the trial you have entered.
Amongst which clinical trials are we looking for?
We only list clinical trials validated by national and international drug agencies.
If I participate in a clinical trial, what are my rights?
As a participant, you have the right :
– to participate voluntarily, without pressure or repercussions if you elect not participate
– to leave the trial at any time;
– free treatment and, usually, free examinations as part of the clinical trial;
– possible early access to new medicines;
– a possible indemnity assessed by the ethics committees, to compensate for any costs incurred and time spent on medical research. The compensation is not determined according to the potential risk involved;
– to receive all the information necessary to give your consent before any procedure;
– to clear and understandable answers to your questions;
– to be informed immediately, even after the start of the trial, if new data is collected that could influence your decision to participate;
– safe care that respects your beliefs;
– confidential and anonymous treatment of your data;
– insurance coverage from the trial sponsor.
(Source: afmps)
If I participate in a clinical trial, what are my duties?
As a participant, you agree to :
– to provide truthful and complete information about your health and medical history and any treatment you have taken
– to comply with the clinical trial protocol and to cooperate with the medical staff;
– undergo additional visits and assessments, which may be intensive.
(Source: afmps)
What are the duties of the organisers of a clinical trial?
The medical team of the research centre plays a very important role in supporting, monitoring and informing the participants. This role does not end when the trial is over.
The investigating doctor must explain the different aspects of the trial in the most comprehensible and complete way possible. As a potential participant, you can decide to participate with all the information available. This decision is recorded in a document that you must sign as a participant in a clinical trial. This informed consent describes the course of the trial in an understandable way, as well as the course you will follow as a participant. This document also describes your rights and duties as a participant.
The organiser of a clinical trial must also take out “no fault” insurance. This means that you, as a participant, are insured, even if the doctor is not at fault.
(Source: afmps)
About Curewiki
Curewiki was founded by Jean-Sebastien Gosuin, a tech entrepreneur who is heart patient and cancer survivor, and also Marc Verhaeren, an impact entrepreneur who co-founded the first sustainable fund in Belgium in 2010 (Funds For Good).
They realised that many patients could not find a treatment for their disease while at the same time clinical trials were looking for patients to finalise new treatments. Curewiki was born to connect these two with each other.
There are already over 1000 people registered on Curewiki and we are in the process of accelerating
recruitment. We are funded by the public sector (Europe, States, Regions) and private investors.
To further increase its societal impact, Curewiki is in the process of finalising the creation of its philanthropic fund at the King Baudouin Foundation and wishes to become a B Corp.
