Why are clinical trials used in drug development?
Clinical trials are important for discovering new treatments for diseases, as well as new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the chance of developing the disease. Clinical trials can show researchers what does and doesn’t work in humans that cannot be learned in the laboratory or in animals.
Are clinical trials part of drug development?
Clinical trials are only a small part of the research that goes into developing a new treatment. Drugs of the future, for example, first have to be discovered or created, purified, described, and tested in labs (in cell and animal studies) before ever reaching human clinical trials.
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies performed in people that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention. They are the primary way that researchers find out if a new treatment, like a new drug or diet or medical device (for example, a pacemaker) is safe and effective in people.
What is a Stage 3 clinical trial?
Phase III of a clinical trial usually involves up to 3,000 participants who have the condition that the new medication is meant to treat. Trials in this phase can last for several years. The purpose of phase III is to evaluate how the new medication works in comparison to existing medications for the same condition.
What is an example of a clinical trial?
For example, a clinical trial could involve new drugs, medical devices, biologicals, vaccines, surgical and other medical treatments and procedures. Psycho-therapeutic and behavioural therapies help service changes, preventative care strategies and educational interventions are also examples of clinical trials.
How many phases are in a drug trial?
3
There are 3 main phases of clinical trials – phases 1 to 3. Phase 1 trials are the earliest phase trials and phase 3 are later phase trials. Some trials have an earlier stage called phase 0, and there are some phase 4 trials done after a drug has been licensed. Some trials are randomised.