Now he can talk about the position he recently accepted, director of the clinical trials office of the Penn State Institute for Clinical Research. We began with a few small clinical trials that established our reputation with pharmaceutical companies for successfully enrolling patients and compiling useful data. Our early studies with antibiotics generated interest, and we were approached for subsequent trials from both pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms. A farsighted thinker and planner, Smith, a professor of surgery in Penn State s College of Medicine, saw potential for patients and The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. By participating in clinical trials, patients receive advanced drug therapy before the product is available commercially.
Physicians participate in pioneering research.
And, the sponsoring institution receives revenue, which is no small matter as funds for protected time for physician-scientists to conduct research dwindles. Running the good race Compare an ardent clinical researcher like Smith to a marathon runner. It makes sense. Like marathon runners, clinical researchers train rigorously. They follow stringent rules.