Study: Clinical Trials Help Drive Research in the Triad

The last 15 years have brought a boom of pharmaceutical research to the Triad, according to the results of a survey released Monday.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America –(PhRMA) says researchers in the Triad looked at major health issues such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Clinical trials are tests of new drugs or devices on human patients. PhRMA's Jeff Trewhitt is a co-author of the study. He says the number of trials conducted by such institutions as Wake Forest Baptist and Forsyth Medical Centers is impressive.

Trewhitt says more than 100 of those clinical trials are ongoing. The results of the study were released during a conference at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines says the research center could be a key driver of the city's economy for many years to come.

According to PhRMA, biopharmaceutical collaborations support more than 220,000 jobs in North Carolina and generate $50 billion in statewide economic activity.