CFStrong: Inform. Educate. Empower.

CFStrong: Inform. Educate. Empower.


Podcast: Tony on clinical trials

November 07, 2022

Tony on clinical trials
Curious about clinical trials? Interested to learn more about how to take part? Keen to hear from someone who has been there and done that? In this episode of the CFStrong podcast we chat with Tony about his experience getting involved in clinical trials. Tony shares his experience and his advice for anyone interested in putting their hand up for a clinical trial.



























”Look, I would say it's important they do the homework, read a little bit about the medication, if you can. Nine times out of 10, it's there's nothing about on the internet, but in saying that the hospital staff, you know, or the clinical staff or whoever the person that's helping you with the trial, they give you enough information, to give you a very good understanding of how the drug works and what the background is behind it. I would basically make a list of questions and I would ask, you know, the clinical trial staff, all the questions and concerns I have.











Transcript
Voiceover: Welcome to the CFStrong podcast. CFStrong covers the successes and challenges faced by those living with cystic fibrosis. You'll hear first person stories, conversations with health professionals, friends and partners. Just a heads up, guests may share their personal views about treatments and health management. But please remember, this is not medical advice. And you should always follow the advice of your clinic team regarding your health.
Kirby: Hello, I'm Kirby and in this episode of the CFStrong podcast, we're talking with Tony about his experience participating in clinical trials. Thanks so much for joining us today, Tony. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Tony: Hey, how you going. So, I'm Tony Hanna. 39 years old, live with cystic fibrosis. I live in Melbourne, Victoria.
Kirby: Awesome. Thanks, Tony. And yes, thank you so much for joining us. Let's chat a little bit about clinical trials. So first off, what is a clinical trial?
Tony: Basically, a clinical trial is a research study. It's performed on people who basically basically want to try out different drugs or, you know, hospitals or medical fields or even companies. They want to try different drugs. So, they put you in a study where a drug is trialed on you. And basically, that's that's a little bit about what a clinical trial is.
Kirby: And when did you first participate in a clinical trial? When was your first one?
Tony: Um, my first clinical trial would have been? I was about 25 years old. Yeah, I was 25 years old. That was my first clinical trial.
Kirby: So that's about 15 years ago, roughly. Yeah,
Tony: Yeah. Yeah. Wow.
Kirby: And how many trials have you been a part of in the last 15 years?
Tony: I've actually, I've done three in the past. And I'm actually doing one at the moment so four in total, including this one.
Kirby: Can you tell us about one of the clinical trials that you have been on in the past? I know we can't talk much about the one that you're on at the moment. But can you tell me about one of the trials that you've been on in the past? And talk to me about what what that whole experience was like?
Tony: Yeah, yeah. Look, the experience, it's overwhelming. It's a, it's a good feeling. It's definitely going into a trial, you, you question it, it's normal. And once you're in the trial, it's like you're in the zone, you know, things are going good, and you feel good about yourself. For me, you know, when I did my last trial, which would have been about, was pre COVID, it actually felt, felt good. Going in there was overwhelmed. A little bit hesitant. But with reassurance, I kind of went in with, you know, basically, a lot of knowledge, it was a good feeling, exciting feeling. Straight off the bat, I felt a change and improvement. This was an inhaled medication, which I did. Definitely,