Medical breakthroughs often start with Minnesota research

As the owner of a small clinical research company here in Minnesota, I’ve spent most of my career working behind the scenes — meeting with clinical trial sponsors, research sites, physicians, research coordinators and patients to facilitate promising treatments moving from concept to reality. It’s meticulous work, with the power to change lives for the better.

A recently released report, “Research in Your Backyard,” confirms what many of us in the research community have long known: Minnesota is home to an extraordinary amount of medical innovation, and it’s happening in our local neighborhoods. The report reveals that Minnesota currently has more than 700 open clinical trials, from cancer to cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders to allergies and asthma.

It also emphasizes the economic impact of this work: Clinical research supports the generation of an estimated $20.2 billion in annual economic activity in Minnesota, supporting jobs in every corner of the state — from research coordinators and nurses to lab technicians, data analysts and small-business owners like me.

The report also highlights something even more important: Minnesotans are contributing to medical breakthroughs that help people across the country and around the world. Every trial participant who volunteers their time, every local investigator who oversees a study, and every doctor or nurse that says, “Yes, we will discuss clinical trial opportunities with patients” is part of the extensive work we do every day to find new cures and treatments for human diseases and ailments.

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Recently, I, along with several others met with one of our state legislators to talk about this very issue. We discussed how small, local research companies like mine that are rooted in the communities we serve are essential to Minnesota’s research ecosystem. We expand access to clinical trials, especially for patients who may not be able to travel to large hospitals. We hire locally, we collaborate with local doctors and we make sure Minnesotans have early access to the therapies of tomorrow.

But we’re also at a crossroads.

Running a research company today is harder than it has ever been. Administrative costs are rising, regulatory burdens are growing and increasingly difficult, and competition for research dollars is intensifying. It’s important that we support small research companies like mine, the ones with a real pulse on our communities, who need support to continue doing this work.

That’s why support from policymakers matters. When legislators understand the value of research — and the infrastructure needed to keep it thriving — Minnesota wins. Patients win. Small businesses win. Our health systems win. Our entire state becomes a hub for life-saving innovation and economic growth.

I left my recent legislative meeting feeling hopeful. There is real interest in understanding what it takes to sustain our research ecosystem, and a recognition that scientific innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because communities nurture it, policymakers protect it and researchers fight for it every day.

My hope is that Minnesotans reading the Research in Your Backyard report will feel the same sense of pride I feel every day. The advancements being made in Minnesota aren’t abstract. They come from your neighbors, your health care providers and your local research teams, and the benefits such as new treatments, new jobs and improved health outcomes belong to all of us.

Minnesota has always led the way in healthcare and with continued support, we can ensure that the next generation of discoveries continue to start right here, in our own backyard.

Dr. Joy Frestedt is president and chief executive officer of Frestedt Inc., which provides end-to-end clinical support services for pharmaceutical and medical device research, among others. 

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