RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Patients who want to play an active role in bringing new, safer drugs to market faster now have access to a global Web site that makes it easier than ever before to identify clinical trials to participate in – regardless of geography or the drug company sponsor.

The new Web site, www.clinicalresearch.com, presents easy-to-use, comprehensive information for those who have little or no understanding of clinical research and the value it brings to healthcare. The Web site’s sponsor, global biopharmaceutical services company Quintiles, believes that if more people understood the crucial role of clinical research in identifying cures and therapies, then more people would be willing to participate in the research. Lack of participation in trials is one of the major factors in lengthening the development of new drugs.

“Research shows that 75% of the general public state they have little or no knowledge of clinical research and the participation process. We want to fundamentally change that statistic,” said Chris Cabell, Head of Global Access to Patients at Quintiles. “If patients and their families are more aware of the opportunities that clinical research can provide, they will be better able to make informed decisions about participating in research and helping drive the development of new and better medicines. As a clinician, I hope that patients find this new site engaging and useful in de-mystifying clinical research and my hope and expectation is that it will evolve over time into an even better resource.”

With just a few clicks, patients who visit www.clinicalresearch.com can identify ongoing or future clinical trials appropriate for their disease or condition and narrow them down to those that are geographically convenient. Along with comprehensive supporting information about clinical research, including videos describing real life patient experiences, and news from recent studies, the site will allow patients to connect with other individuals about their insight into clinical research.

Since 1962, the FDA has approved 1,019 novel therapies. Virtually all the medicines used today are a result of clinical research, including all drugs for cancer, heart disease, depression, HIV, Alzheimer’s and asthma. These new medicines have increased life expectancy by 10 years.

“There is a major unmet need to educate the public about clinical research and what it means to be a participant in that process,” said Ken Getz, Senior Research Fellow at the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development at Tufts University and founder and chairman of the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). “Web-based initiatives like clinicalresearch.com play an important role in distributing, in an accessible format, educational information to patients and the public.”

“I talk to patients all the time about their possible involvement in clinical research,” said Dr. Bernadette D’Souza, an experienced investigator who contributed to clinicalresearch.com. “To have a resource such as this, that provides information about what participation means in an easy-to-use format, is very useful. I am sure that more patients would actively participate more in clinical research if they understood better how they may benefit, and how they may help others with similar conditions in the future.”

About Quintiles

Quintiles is the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical services company offering clinical, commercial, consulting and capital solutions worldwide. The Quintiles network of 23,000 engaged professionals in more than 50 countries around the globe works with an unwavering commitment to patients, safety and ethics. Quintiles helps biopharmaceutical companies navigate risk and seize opportunities in an environment where change is constant. For more information, please visit www.quintiles.com.