Ms Meryl Mammen, a patient of Pompe Disease, has been announced as the winner of the logo design contest announced by the Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR) to mark International Clinical Trials Day which falls on May 20th. The logo design contest was built around Patients First, which is ISCR's theme for the day.

Ms Meryl Mammen, a 26 year old post graduate in psychology who lives in Ghaziabad, developed the design as a tribute to patients who take a big leap of faith in participating in clinical trials to help bring better medicines to patients worldwide. Meryl's winning logo will be used in all communication and creative collateral for this year's International Clinical Trials Day.

Ms Meryl, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Pompe Disease, has been through a series of medical consultations and misdiagnoses before her condition was finally diagnosed at the age of 21. She speaks of the many challenges of living with Pompe Disease and says, "I envision a day when there is a cure for Pompe Disease so that patients can have a better quality of life. If not a cure, at least better treatment options to make our lives easier, as what we have access to at present is simply not good enough."

ISCR's logo design contest for patients was a creative way of integrating patients into the commemoration of an important day for the clinical research fraternity and to encourage deeper engagement with patients.

Ms Suneela Thatte, President, ISCR said, "We congratulate Meryl on this well-deserved win. This contest was a good opportunity for us to show appreciation of the important role that patients play in clinical research and to incorporate the patient's voice in all our communication. It is for patients such as her and thousands of others that we can continue in our mission to find better and more effective treatment therapies for patients."

Explaining her winning logo, Ms Meryl said, "The courage and strength of patients who participate in clinical trials in the hope of saving the lives of thousands of others like them is what inspired my logo. My design is symbolic of the patient taking a leap of faith (represented by the heart) to help cure disease (curing of disease represented by rings) through clinical trials." The rings or circles also represent the positive ripple effect created when patients participate in a clinical trial. And the leap of faith is a leap of faith of patients in the doctor, in the promise of better treatment or cure and in the manner in which the trial is conducted.

Patients First is ISCR's theme for International Clinical Trials Day. It is a theme that acknowledges patients who, through their participation in clinical trials, have made new medicines and treatment possible; and a theme which reflects a commitment to patients who are waiting for new treatment and therapies.