What is a Clinical Trial
A clinical trial is a medical research study to determine the safety and effectiveness of a drug or treatment and discover any side effects. Clinical trials use humans; pre-clinical trials use animals.
The drug or treatment under study in the clinical trial may be:
- new and never been tested on people before
- an existing one being used in a new way
In some clinical trials, a new drug or treatment may be compared with the best-known standard therapy to see if it is more effective or causes fewer side effects.
Information from clinical trials:
- helps regulatory authorities around the world decide whether to approve a drug for use in their country
- guides health professionals in their decisions about prescribing drugs or other treatments to patients
- assists consumers with the proper use of over-the-counter and prescription medications
