Articles
The Importance of Returning Clinical Trial Data to Participants
Clinical trial participants are at the heart of medical research, and it’s with their help that Pfizer is able to bring life-changing treatments to patients. But, until recently, clinical trial sponsors like Pfizer have not been equipped to provide participants with their own personal clinical trial data when a trial ends. Pfizer’s team of clinical trial experts have worked for many years to change that by launching the Clinical Trial Participant Data Return Initiative. This first-of-its....
From Math to Medicine: What Are Mathematical Models and How Do They Predict Pharmacology?
It sounds strange, but predicting how medications impact diseases and the body is a lot like forecasting the weather. To understand why, imagine opening a weather app on your smartphone to check the forecast for the upcoming weekend. You see that it’ll be sunny, 72 degrees, with a slight breeze—perfect weather. But how did scientists predict those precise physical conditions so far in the future? The answer: mathematical models. Scientists across disciplines use mathematical models to....
The Butterfly Club: Stories of Volunteers that Colleagues with Cancer Can Lean On
When Nikki Shaffer was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35, she had so many questions. How should she tell her three young children about it? Should she keep working? Would she see her kids grow up? That was in 2009. As Shaffer went through treatment, a non-profit connected her with other cancer survivors, but she didn’t click with anyone. “They connected me to people who were in their 50s when they were diagnosed, and their questions and their concerns were not the same as mine,” says Shaffer....
Adolescents with Alopecia Areata: What Caregivers Should Know
A lot of kids just want to fit in.1 But for too many, hair loss makes them stand out. For the one in 1,000 children and teens diagnosed with alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicles, hair loss can create practical challenges.2,3 Youth with AA might feel too self-conscious for selfies, refuse to go out without a hat, or decline invitations to swimming parties or sports leagues for fear their wigs will fall off. In a 2017 study of 69....
Bringing Together Diverse Organizations to Strive for Health Equity
As a Black woman who grew up living in subsidized housing in the U.S., I know what it means to live in a world where healthcare is not equal, and not trusted. Like so many others, I have family and friends along the health spectrum who have little interest in going to the doctor because they don’t feel seen or heard. This well-earned lack of trust has led some to decide against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, among other healthcare services and interventions. I know firsthand the work that....
Migraine in the Workplace and Creating a Safe Space
One billion people worldwide live with migraine; that’s about one in seven. At those odds, there’s a high probability that each of us works with someone who experiences migraine. And if you’re an employer, this could mean that migraine in the workplace could have a significant impact on your workforce. Migraine is a debilitating neurological disease that causes intense pain in the head, as well as other sensory and/or motor dysfunction. Migraine attacks usually include symptoms like nausea....
The Challenges of Defining, Understanding, and Addressing Long COVID
Years have passed since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. And though some immunity (acquired by vaccination or through a combination of vaccination and prior infection) allows people to reincorporate some of the lifestyle and activities that they used to enjoy, the virus continues to significantly impact patients, health systems, and economies around the world. In addition to the devastating effects that acute infection can have on those at high risk for severe illness, so-called long....
Lady Gaga on Living With Migraine
If migraine attacks have impacted your ability to simply go about your day, spend time with your family and friends, or do your job, then you and Academy Award®, Golden Globe® Award and 13-time Grammy® Award-winning actress and philanthropist have a lot in common. Lady Gaga recently opened up to Pfizer.com about how migraines have affected her life. “My experience with migraines was debilitating. I would be in bed for days with tremendous pain in my head, behind my eyes, and all throughout....
Why the COVID-19 Incubation Period Changes and How That Can Affect Us
Terms like “quarantine” and “social distancing” have been a natural part of our lexicon since 2020. But many of us are not standing six feet apart in public spaces anymore or quarantining after a COVID-19 exposure prior to testing. After all, these actions are no longer recommended for those who are vaccinated.1 The state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic may have expired,2 but it is still possible to contract the virus. As new variants have emerged and recommendations have evolved over....