Behn AR, Perera T, Myles AB Polymyalgia rheumatica and corticosteroids: how much for how long? Ann Rheum Dis. 1983 Aug;42(4):374-8. doi: 10.1136/ard.42.4.374.
Kermani TA, Warrington KJ Advances and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2014 Feb;6(1):8-19. doi: 10.1177/1759720X13512450.
Kreiner F, Galbo H Effect of etanercept in polymyalgia rheumatica: a randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Res Ther. 2010;12(5):R176. doi: 10.1186/ar3140. Epub 2010 Sep 20.
Liang GC, Simkin PA, Hunder GG, Wilske KR, Healey LA Familial aggregation of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1974 Jan-Feb;17(1):19-24. doi: 10.1002/art.1780170105. No abstract available.
Owen CE, Buchanan RR, Hoi A Recent advances in polymyalgia rheumatica. Intern Med J. 2015 Nov;45(11):1102-8. doi: 10.1111/imj.12823.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
