Growing clinical research – A talk with Dr. Rennard

Recently UNMC Today discussed clinical research with Stephen Rennard, M.D., Larson professor of internal medicine-pulmonary medicine.

Dr. Rennard is one UNMC’s leading clinical researchers.

Stephen Rennard, M.D.

Over the past 25 years, he estimates that he has been part of about 170 clinical trials, including one that recently led to the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the new drug, Daliresp, which reduces the risk of exacerbations in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Below are excerpts from our discussion with Dr. Rennard.

How has clinical research affected your research?

Probably half the research I do is clinical and I really prefer to work in people rather than animals because human studies are more relevant. Clinical research has greatly expanded my own research horizons. Some key questions could never have been approached any other way.

Elaborate on how clinical research has advanced your work.

Most of the information about common diseases comes from clinical studies done by pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical investment in clinical trials dwarfs NIH (National Institutes of Health) investment and people have discovered that drug company databases are rich sources of information relevant to diseases. This data can be exploited in many ways to assist research.

How much of your research is clinical trials funded?

Over the years it’s probably been 70 percent. It’s a big chunk of my research funding.

What is your take on the stigmas regarding clinical trials?

For many people, clinical trials are perceived to have less status than NIH investigations and the trials do provide less overhead for the institution. That’s an attitude that’s not going to bode well for trying to do more clinical studies. The NIH doesn’t have that attitude frankly. It’s trying to have very clear links to industry. The attitude that industry research is less meritorious is pervasive in academic institutions but I’ve never had that attitude.

What about ethical conflicts regarding doing trials with industry?

There are ethical considerations all the time and we think very carefully about those. But the fact is if you don’t do clinical research, there will be no treatments and that would be a morally bankrupt approach. Clinical research is necessary if you want to accomplish certain things, which in my case is finding better treatments and potentially a cure for COPD.