Advancing treatments through clinical trials

Kaiser Permanente’s clinical trials help advance treatment for health conditions and diseases ranging from heart disease and cancer to AIDS and COVID-19.
William Towner, MD, has seen firsthand how clinical trials can contribute to the development of more effective and safer medical treatments. He began working in clinical trials at Kaiser Permanente at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and now serves as physician director for clinical trials at KPSC where he currently leads clinical trials for treatment of COVID-19.
“AIDS was often a fatal disease with few treatment options,” he recalled. “Through clinical trials, more and more effective disease therapies were developed. We are now able to treat HIV with one pill taken once a day, and patients usually do very well. Clinical trials really have driven medicine forward.” Watch this 2-minute video about clinical trials at Kaiser Permanente, and how they help to transform care.
To stay informed of KPSC research, sign up for Impact, the newsletter from the Department of Research & Evaluation. View the latest issue or subscribe here.