May 22, 2024
Clinical trials chance for rare disease treatment
A general practitioner with a focus on rare diseases says Māori may want to consider participating in clinical trials if they can’t afford unfunded medication.
Richard Stubbs says one reason Maori health outcomes are poorer than for their European counterparts is because the disease isn’t managed as well as possible.
Clinical trials are a way for anyone to learn more about their condition without the time constraint of a GP visit, as well as getting access to the latest medication.
“Kidney disease, diabetes, pneumococcal pneumonia, COPD, asthma, these are all conditions that are common in Maori and there are clinical trials available in many sites around the country,” Dr Stubbs says.
Fewer than a third of modern medicines registered in New Zealand are publicly funded.