One of the goals of the Foundation is to encourage much-needed research into causes of and treatments for Sjögren's syndrome. Each issue of The Moisture Seekers lists ongoing research studies on Sjögren's syndrome and related autoimmune diseases. We encourage people to learn about clinical trials and suggest the following sites as a starting point:

• National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine -- provides patients with current information about federally funded clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions. The site provides general information about clinical trial participation, and you can search the site by disease/condition, trial sponsor, or geographic site.



• Should I Enter a Clinical Trial? A Patient Reference Guide for Adults with a Serious or Life-Threatening Illness



• Centerwatch -- a for-profit company that offers information related to clinical trials, including a listing of more than 41,000 industry- and government-sponsored clinical trials. There is no fee to patients.



• Acurian -- a for-profit company that links the biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies that sponsor clinical trials with qualified physician investigators who are needed to conduct the trials and the patients who are needed to participate in the trials. There is no fee to patients searching for clinical trials.



• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PHRMA) -- The Search for Cures section of their Web site features New Medicines in Development. This is a database containing information about new drugs being researched in clinical trials.



• Information on Independent Review Boards (PDF) -- information on the development of independent (also called central) IRBs and their role in ensuring protections for human participants in clinical research.

Return to Top