{"id":243229,"date":"2026-08-05T17:03:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/?p=243229"},"modified":"2026-08-05T17:03:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:03:02","slug":"berlin-als-standort-fuer-gesundheitsforschung-wie-studien-zu-hormonen-und-verhuetung-entstehen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/2026\/08\/05\/berlin-als-standort-fuer-gesundheitsforschung-wie-studien-zu-hormonen-und-verhuetung-entstehen\/","title":{"rendered":"Berlin as a location for health research: How studies on hormones and contraception are created"},"content":{"rendered":"

It begins with a sentence at the kitchen table. A friend tells her that she is participating in a study – it is about a contraceptive, a few questionnaires, and occasionally an appointment at the clinic. No laboratory, no experimental atmosphere. At some point, the question arises: where do these studies actually originate, and who is behind them? The short answer: often in the middle of the city, in specialized research facilities that hardly anyone knows about.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Berlin as an underrated location for health research<\/h2>\n

Berlin likes to measure itself by its proximity to the night: clubs, concerts, neighborhood culture. That the city is also one of the most important research sites in the country is easily overlooked. Between scene spots and start-up offices, universities, the Charit\u00e9 as a university clinic, numerous institutes and specialized research organizations work on issues that affect the everyday lives of millions of people. Part of this work remains almost completely out of public attention – for example, health research on medicines that have been on the market for a long time.<\/p>\n

It is here, in the middle of the city, that data are collected and evaluated that show how drugs work in real life: in clinics, pharmacies and homes, not under laboratory conditions. This research plays little role in the cityscape, but a big role in the supply. So, the next time you hear about participating in a study, you don’t have to think of distant research centers. The answer is often just a few subway stations away.<\/p>\n

What real-world evidence studies are and why they matter<\/h2>\n

Clinical registration studies are carried out under strictly controlled conditions: fixed dosages, carefully selected participants, close monitoring. This results in reliable results – but under artificially narrow framework conditions. Everyday care looks different: people take several preparations at the same time, forget tablets, change doctors. This is exactly where Real World Evidence comes in. It evaluates data from actual daily treatment and shows how a drug proves itself when many people use it over long periods of time. Questions about interactions or long-term tolerability can also be addressed in this way.<\/p>\n

An important instrument in this regard are non-interventional studies. They observe patients in the normal course of treatment without additional intervention for the purposes of the study. After approval, so-called post-authorization safety studies also come into play, which keep an eye on rare or long-term safety aspects. The planning, implementation and evaluation of such studies is typically carried out by A specialized CRO<\/a><\/span> – an commissioned research organization that develops and accompanies pharmacepidemiological studies on behalf of pharmaceutical companies or authorities. In Europe, specialist networks such as ENCePP, supported by the European Medicines Agency, ensure that this research follows uniform methodological standards. This creates knowledge that the approval process alone cannot provide – and that influences decisions by authorities and practices.<\/p>\n

How such a study works in practice<\/h2>\n

As cumbersome as the technical terms may sound, the process of an observational study is as straightforward in practice. Five steps are typical:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Research question and study plan:<\/strong> At the beginning, there is a clearly outlined research question – for example, about the compatibility of a preparation in everyday life. From it, a study plan is created, which specifies which data will be collected in which period of time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Ethics and data protection:<\/strong> Before the first person participates, ethics committees examine the project. At the same time, it is determined how personal data will be protected and anonymized or pseudonymized for evaluation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Recruitment:<\/strong> Participants are usually recruited through their treating doctors. Participation is voluntary and requires an understandable, informed consent.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Data collection in everyday life:<\/strong> The information is generated in the normal treatment process, for example through questionnaires, regular visits to the practice or documentation by the practice teams – without additional interventions for research purposes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Evaluation and classification:<\/strong> Finally, experts from biostatistics and epidemiology evaluate the collected data and prepare the results for professional circles, authorities and medical practice.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Depending on the question, this process takes place over many months or several years. The decisive factor is that the everyday lives of the participants are changed as little as possible – it is precisely from this that the research derives its value.<\/p>\n

    Why hormonal health is its own research focus<\/h2>\n

    Few active ingredient groups accompany so many people over such long periods of time as hormonal preparations. Contraceptives are often taken for years or decades; treatments during menopause also involve a large group of women in a sensitive life phase. Hormones also play a central role in treatments such as those for the thyroid. Accordingly, the open questions are as multifaceted: How does a preparation tolerate long-term use? What interactions occur when other medications come into play in everyday life? How does treatment affect well-being and quality of life?<\/p>\n

    Classical registration studies can only answer this to a limited extent because they narrow down the period and the group of participants. Pharmacepidemiological research closes this gap by observing real use over long periods of time. For those affected, it is about very concrete things: about safety in everyday life, planability and trust in their own treatment. It hardly surprises that part of the Berlin research landscape has specialized in this field: it is about health issues that affect millions of people.<\/p>\n

    What studying means for individuals<\/h2>\n

    Those who decide to participate make a contribution to supply security without significantly changing their own daily lives. In non-interventional studies, the treatment remains as it would have been prescribed by the doctor anyway; only observation and documentation, such as questionnaires on well-being and tolerability, are added. Some studies also provide for short control appointments, which are usually incorporated into the normal practice routine. Participation is voluntary and can be terminated at any time without giving reasons – medical care remains unaffected. Participation may be excluded, for example, if the ongoing treatment does not fit the study design – this will also be disclosed in advance.<\/p>\n

    At the same time, a sober look is worthwhile: an observational study is no therapeutic benefit and no promise of better effect. It is an instrument of research whose benefits are only created over time and for many at the same time. Those who participate should take time to educate themselves and ask questions before making a decision – serious studies give clear answers to this, in writing and upon request.<\/p>\n

    Frequently asked questions about participating in health studies<\/h2>\n

    Around the participation in health studies, similar questions always arise in conversations. The most important ones – with short explanations:<\/p>\n

    What distinguishes a non-interventional study from a classic drug study?<\/h3>\n

    In a classic study, treatment is administered specifically for study purposes and closely controlled. A non-interventional study, on the other hand, observes people in normal daily care: the treatment follows the doctor’s decision, not the study plan, and no additional interventions take place solely for research purposes.<\/p>\n

    Why is hormonal health a separate research focus?<\/h3>\n

    Contraceptives and other hormonal preparations are taken by many people for long periods of time. Data from everyday care are therefore particularly valuable: they show how the preparations prove themselves in long-term use and in combination with other medications.<\/p>\n

    How can you participate in such a study?<\/h3>\n

    The most common way is through the treating doctor, who recommends patients for ongoing studies. In addition, there are public calls for studies. In any case, participation is voluntary and requires prior, understandable information.<\/p>\n

    Are personal data safe when participating in a study?<\/h3>\n

    Serious research organizations are subject to strict data protection and methodological standards. The data collected is usually evaluated pseudonymously, so that no inferences can be made about individual persons. How exactly the data is handled must be explained transparently before participation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It begins with a sentence at the kitchen table. A friend tells her that she is participating in a study – it is about \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":244189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1206],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lesenswert"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}