The team at the Metro Spinal Clinic works actively with other health care organisations, health care providers, and the community to improve the quality of pain management and to provide early access to newly develped therapeutics. The Metro Spinal Clinic participates in a number of industry sponsored clinical trials, which are approved by an independent ethics committee and are conducted in the highest standard.
In a clinical trial, there are usually two groups of patients:
- those who receive the newer treatment (the intervention group or active treatment)
- those who receive standard treatment (the control group or placebo treatment).
Two groups of patients are needed, to see whether the newer treatment is better than standard treatment. You cannot choose whether to have the active or placebo treatment. There are no additional costs for people who join a clinical trial. There are advantages and disadvantages of particpating in a clinical trial, which must be considered to make an informed decision.
Advantages of being in a clinical trial include:
- people in a clinical trial may receive a newer treatment that is not yet available to the general public
- the newer treatment may be more effective than standard treatments
- the progress of treatment will be monitored closely
- people who join clinical trials will also be helping other patients in the future.
Disadvantages of being in a clinical trial include:
- it is not possible to choose which treatment to have
- the newer treatment might not be more effective than standard treatments
- the newer treatment might have more or different side effects compared with standard treatments
- more tests may be needed during and after treatment than with standard treatments
- it may be necessary to fill in more forms and surveys than with standard treatments
Current Clinical Trials
Note: should you wish to be contacted about any of the clinical trials we are currently participating in, or would like more information about what we do, please contact our research department.
Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Ascending‑Dose Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of CEP‑37247 Administered at Single Doses of 0.5, 1, 3, 6, or 12 mg by the Transforaminal Epidural Route for the Treatment of Patients With Lumbosacral Radicular Pain Associated With Disc Herniation. Indication: Patients suffering from Lumbosacral Radicular Pain (Sciatica). Recruitment: Recruiting Now - Click here for the patient information and consent form
Study: A Multicentre, cluster randomized, placebo-controlled open-label pilot study of Back Strain Monitor (BSM)®with Feedback compared with the BSM without feedback in subjects with moderate lower back pain. Indication: Patients suffering from low back pain. Recruitment: Recruiting Now - Click here for the patient information and consent form
Study: OPTIONS: "Precision Spectra™ Neurostimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Intractable Pain of the Trunk and/or Limbs. Indication: Patients suffering with low back and/or leg pain. Recruitment: Opening July 2012
Study: A prospective trial to assess the safety and performance of the Spinal Modulation Neurostimulator System in the treatment of chronic pain. Indication: Patients suffering from chronic pain for greater than 6 months. Recruitment: Closed
Study: A Phase I/IIa, Multicenter, Open-label, Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Effectiveness of Single Administration Intradiscal rhGDF-5 for the Treatment of Early Stage Lumbar Disc Degeneration. Indication: Degenerative disc disease. Recruitment: Closed
Study: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2a trial of ENBREL (Etanercept) administered by the transforaminal epidural route for the treatment of sciatic pain. Indication: Lumbosacral Radicular Pain (Sciatica). Recruitment: Closed
Adele Barnard, PhD. Clinical Research Manager. Contact Email: abarnard@metrospinal.com.au or Phone: +61 3 9642 8616