NAMS does not conduct clinical research, but many of its members do. And choosing to take part in a clinical trial is an important personal decision. It's best to know as much as possible about the study and to discuss it with your healthcare provider before participating. Be sure to review the privacy policy of any website posting clinical studies, and avoid giving personal identifying information online.
How to Participate in Clinical Studies
For those women looking for menopause-related clinical trials or market research, the U.S. National Institutes of Health through its National Library of Medicine offers a broad list of clinical studies, plus comprehensive information and a glossary of terms for those who may want to learn more.
Drug Discovery, Development, and Approval Process
It takes 10-15 years on average for an experimental drug to travel from the research laboratory to U.S. patients. Only 5 in 5,000 compounds that enter preclinical testing make it to human testing. Only one of these five tested in people is approved. To read more about the drug discovery, development, and approval process, click here.