What is a Clinical Trial and how does it work?

A clinical trial is a research study.  Research studies are used to decide how treatments work and how safe they are.  While in a study, a person may receive either an investigational drug, a marketed drug, a placebo, or a combination of these.  An investigational drug is one that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a marketed drug is FDA approved and a placebo is like a "sugar pill."

The results from these studies are submitted to the FDA to help decide if a drug should be approved for marketing.  No medications may be marketed in the United States without the FDA's approval.

People who enroll in studies are randomly assigned to test groups, making sure that the study doctor and the patient do not know what treatment a person is on.  In case of an emergency, there is always someone who knows and would be able to tell the doctors what group a person is in.

For more information on clinical trials, please contact us.