Clinical trials have become the norm across the globe, and they are a much-needed method of putting drugs through their paces to determine everything from efficiency to side effects, safety and other possible potential uses.
Most clinical trials comprise of Phases 1 and 2, and in some cases 3, before they reach market approval. Each of the phases has a set purpose and to reach a clinical trial, a drug must first have passed the preclinical tests. These preclinical tests are carried out on human and animal cells in a test dish, and thereafter, often on animals too.
Once preclinical tests have reached their conclusion and the drug is deemed fit for clinical trials, these trials commence. During clinical trials, the drug will be tested on humans and that will provide medical staff with the chance to determine whether or not it works in the way it is intended to.
Trials under the microscope
There are many reasons that motivate people to volunteer for clinical trials and often, there is a long waiting list, made up of people who hope that a new drug will cure their ailment or illness.
The most important of these is that the drug must prove to do its job under the conditions it has been subjected to, and the side effects must not be severe or put the patient in any danger.
A set aim
Every clinical trial must have a set aim and expected outcome and the tests must be designed to ensure that this is the case, or not. Obviously, if the drug does not pass the trials set for it, it won’t make it to market, and there are a multitude of clinical trials that end without a drug ever being released. This is precisely why the trials take place, as new drugs need to be tested extensively and in a controlled environment.
Clinical trials are an important part of the medical world and without them, there would be no new drugs released on to the market, and no new headway would be made in the treatment of just about every illness, disease or ailment.
