Creating hope, improving lives

Expressing gratitude for those who contribute to clinical research every day

Lynne Borthwick – EVP and Chief People Officer at Clario

Today is International Clinical Trials Day. For many people reading this, I’d guess this is news to you. For my colleagues at Clario and me, this is an important day because it celebrates the anniversary of the first clinical trial by James Lind in 1747 which investigated the causes of scurvy on board the HMS Salisbury of the British Royal Navy. Since then, clinical trials have transformed medical care because they are the best way to compare different approaches to preventing and treating illness and health problems. They give health professionals and patients the evidence they need to know which treatments work best.

The journey from the HMS Salisbury to the clinical research environment of today was not a smooth one. Although we have made great strides in improving diversity and equity in clinical trials in recent years, there have been some egregious historical events, such as the Tuskegee Experiment in which 400 black men were allowed to go untreated for syphilis for 40 years even though penicillin was available to treat it. Events like this, however, shaped the future of clinical trials and led to the Declaration of Helsinki, the International Council of Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines and the concept of informed consent before a patient is allowed to participate in a clinical trial. These actions made clinical trials safer and of better quality.

Society has come a long way and in 2022 we are laser-focused on sustainable clinical practices. This brings me back to today, International Clinical Trials Day, which is the perfect time for me to raise my hand and recognize my colleagues at Clario for the work they do, day in and day out, to help customers and patients collect the richest evidence possible during clinical trials.

One of the privileges of my position – and the reason I love working in HR – is that I get to know the people who make the organization what it is. While our business and clinical trials in general may be complex, one thing is simple – for the Clario team, it’s all about people – both the individuals within the company and those we touch externally. Here are some of my observations:

• The focus never waivers from the patient. No matter the role of the individual, whether they are close to the clinical setting or in a support role, the driving force is to help transform the lives of the patients they serve and the people who love them.
• Respect fuels productivity. Colleagues appreciate one another for their uniqueness and the professional experience and life-lessons-learned that each brings to the table. Team members help, encourage and defer to one another. Their collaboration benefits our entire ecosystem – patients, customers, partners and colleagues.
• Curiosity drives innovation. We have a lot of bright people at Clario who know that it is not just what you do, but how you do it. Their quest for knowledge, understanding and improvements lead to better internal processes, accelerated solution development, innovative technologies for our customers – and ultimately – better outcomes for patients.
• Standards are high. Colleagues expect exceptional output from one another because our patients and customers deserve extraordinary experiences.
• It’s personal. Caring is the motivator. Many employees report that they work at Clario because what we do is valuable to society or because someone they love has benefitted from clinical research or health-related innovation – and in some cases – that someone is themselves! Please take just a few moments to visit the Clario page on LinkedIn to view videos of Clario colleagues describing their personal experiences with clinical trials.

Every day, I see my colleagues working to transform patients’ lives by collaborating with sponsors, sites, patients and CROs to collect the richest evidence needed to help bring new medicines, devices and therapies to market. As I look to the future, I see a team of people committed to innovating and transforming clinical trials with the same spirit of curiosity and drive that James Lind showed nearly 300 years ago.

So, today, I would like to thank all Clario colleagues who inspire me with how they celebrate one another and help give hope to people around the world.