How Medical Clinical Trials Work

Before a new drug or treatment method can be introduced to the public, the health authority or ethics committee in a certain jurisdiction usually requires a clinical trial. This consists of a set of tests that aim to prove the efficacy and safety of the drug or treatment being presented upon market launch. The data typically touches upon adverse reactions or side effects, which help the authorities decide whether or not to approve the sale and distribution of the drug in question.

Medical clinical trials are essentially an investigative process that involves testing a product or treatment on volunteer patients. These volunteers usually suffer from the very illness or condition the product or treatment is designed to cure. The number of test patients increases as more results turn out favorably.

Most of the tests are funded by specific sponsors of the project. Governmental agencies or private pharmaceutical companies typically sponsor such tests. Meanwhile, the hospital or organization performing the tests can seek outsourced partners when the sponsorship funds are no longer sufficient to support the growing population of patients.

Medical clinical trials help protect the general public from the potential adverse effects of every drug being introduced to the market. At the same time, clinical trials can provide much-needed data that may help improve the safety, efficacy, and marketability of new drugs.