At Spring Valley Pediatrics our goal is to provide the best possible care for our patients. Sometimes it’s as straightforward as writing a prescription or giving a shot — other times the best therapy is still in development. That is why clinical trials are so important. Without clinical trials, it would be impossible to develop new medicines, vaccines, and cures for children.
Spring Valley Pediatrics partners with Meridian Clinical Research. Together, we conduct clinical studies (overseen by our participating physicians) to help develop better therapies for the patients we see, and for people worldwide.
Without clinical trials (also called ‘clinical studies’ or ‘research studies’), it would be impossible to develop new medicines and cures. These studies may offer more care options for our patients suffering from chronic and rare health conditions. This is particularly helpful for patients who struggle to find effective therapies currently on the market. Clinical trials also help us improve the standard of care for routine health care issues affecting children of all ages. In short, clinical studies help us deliver better care to our patients.
Clinical Trials in Washington DC
We regularly conduct studies for healthy children and those with specific conditions. These studies offer a way for almost anyone, regardless of age or background, to help improve human health and wellbeing. Right now, we’re seeking participants for the following:
- Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine study: At the 12 month visit all children receive the Varicella vaccine. There is an investigational vaccine that may provide improved efficacy and it is being compared with the current varicella vaccine. This study is for children who have not yet had their 12 month visit.
- Meningitis vaccine study: At their 11 year visit, all children will receive the Meningitis vaccine that covers strains ACWY. At age 16, they receive the Meningitis B vaccine. This is study for an investigational vaccine that combines those two vaccines into one vaccine for Meningitis strains ABCWY. This study is for children who have not yet had their 11 year visit.
- Parainfluenza virus (croup) and Human metapneumovirus (another common respiratory virus) vaccine study: This is an investigational mRNA vaccine for two of the most common childhood respiratory viruses that cause significant illness. This study is for any child between the age 1 and 5 years.
- Pneumococcal vaccine study: All infants receive a vaccine for pneumococcal disease (meningitis, pneumonia, ear infections) at ages 2, 4, and 6 months. This is an extremely important vaccine for this age group. The original pneumococcal vaccine protects against 7 different strains. The vaccine currently being used is against 13 strains. This investigational vaccine is against 21 strains. This study is for infants who have not yet had their second Hepatitis B vaccine, as that will be given along with the study vaccine at age 2 months. Of note, all required childhood vaccines for the first 6 months are paid for as part of the study.
- Constipation with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-C) medication study: This study is for children ages younger than 18 years who suffer with IBS and constipation/diarrhea. An FDA-approved treatment in adults is now being studied in children and adolescents.
Clinical Trial Safety
Our clinical studies are held to incredibly high standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Meridian. Every effort is made to ensure patient safety. Participating in a clinical study is always optional — regardless of what you decide, we will continue to provide excellent traditional care.
Why Participate?
Beyond helping advance medicine, you and your child may also:
- Get care and/or exams from a local doctor at no cost
- Get access to investigational medications in development
- Receive compensation for study-related time and/or travel (amounts vary for each study)
If we believe a study is right for you, someone from our office or Meridian may contact you at our request. You can also ask about current studies when you visit our office. As physicians, we fully support the clinical studies you are contacted about. We encourage you to consider participating if you are contacted.
If you’d like to be notified when a study may be right for you, you can sign up online, or call (912) 623-2240 (Meridian’s call center supporting DC).
Current Research Studies in DC
To learn more about current studies at Spring Valley Pediatrics and Meridian, talk to your doctor or visit Meridian’s website. Participating in a clinical study is always optional. As always, your child’s health is our greatest priority, and we will continue to provide excellent traditional care. To support great leaps in medicine, we support clinical research. We hope you will, too.
Meridian Clinical Research is located inside our facility at 4850 Massachusetts Ave NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20016.