Clinical Trials Day: May 20

What is clinical trials day?

Clinical Trials Day (CTD) is a day of celebration and recognition for researchers, sponsors, and patients involved in clinical trials around the world. It occurs annually on May 20th to mark the start of the first modern clinical trial, conducted by James Lind at the University of Lausanne back in 1747, which led to the hypothesis that citrus fruits can cure scurvy.

In addition to recognizing those who are currently involved in clinical research - researchers, site staff, study nurses and pharmacists, sponsors, patients, patient groups, etc. - CTD also serves to raise awareness about how important these studies are for healthcare innovation. As such, clinical trials day provides an opportunity to recognize the individuals that have played central roles in developing breakthrough treatments for cancer, asthma, diabetes and other diseases.

Clinical trials day celebration ideas

During this special day, there are many possible ways people can join together to celebrate successes, raise awareness, and show appreciation. These celebrations can include everything from personally thanking those who are participating in clinical trials to raising money for patient education with local fundraisers, hosting events, diffusing educational and awareness materials, sharing stories and photos on social media... In reality, it’s up to you how you’d like to celebrate - get creative, and consider expressing what clinical research means to you or why you originally got involved.

The idea is to acknowledge the coordinated efforts that underlie clinical research, the dedication and hard work of clinical research professionals, the voluntary participation of thousands of patients who make the research possible, and the healthcare advances it eventually brings to society.

If you share photos, stories, or content on social media, use the hashtag #ClinicalTrialsDay or #CTD2024.

Finally, keep an eye on the websites of ACRP and SOCRA for specific events leading up to Clinical Trials Day.

How to get involved: Raise awareness and show your appreciation

Below are some quick ideas of ways to celebrate clinical trials day, for sponsors, researchers, and patients.

For researchers and sites

• Host an event with your organization and team members to celebrate teamwork, successes, and even failures. Share photos on social media with the hashtags #ClinicalTrialsDay and #CTD2024
• Reach out to your current and participant network(s), acknowledging and thanking them for their contributions

For drug developers, pharma, and industry sponsors

• Publish educational material (a flyer, short videos, infographics, etc.) to raise awareness
• Engage patients and partners on social media with success stories, interesting facts and statistics, etc. and use the hashtags mentioned above
• Donate directly to organizations working on research initiatives that target specific diseases
• Host a discussion or seminar for research partners and/or the public, highlighting new therapies or innovations related to clinical research and participation in research studies
• Create short videos featuring real-life stories about individuals’ clinical trial adventures - shed light on the positive experiences people can have when donating their time and energy to helping research efforts
• To make impacts at the personal level, consider writing letters or emails directly expressing your gratitude to researchers and sites and other partners you have worked with in your clinical trials, celebrating successful studies and the positive impacts you’ve made

For Patients

• Share about your experiences participating in a clinical trial
• Organize an event within your community, such as a dinner or movie night, spreading the word about clinical research participation to encourage others to consider it for themselves
• Share stories and photos of your experiences on social media and use the hashtags above

Next Clinical Trials Day (CTD): May 20 2024

The next Clinical Trials Day will once again take place on - you guessed it - May 20th 2024, marking its 278th anniversary.

Until then, researchers, sponsors, and patients alike are encouraged to continue being compassionate with one another - acknowledging our personal yet interconnected health journeys - and showing gratitude for each other’s efforts and involvement in the complex undertaking of clinical research.