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.
