Clinical Trials

Taking science forward together

WHAT IS A CLINICAL TRIAL?

A clinical trial is a research study on human participants to determine whether a treatment is safe and effective. It aims to answer three key questions:

  • Does the treatment work?
  • Does it work better than other treatments for the same condition?
  • Is it safe for different groups of patients?

Clinical trials are monitored by outside experts to safeguard participants’ health. Treatments go through several clinical trial ‘phases’ – I-IV – to track safety and effectiveness before and after being approved.

INTERVENTIONAL TRIALS

INTERVENTIONAL TRIALS

In interventional trials, participants are assigned to groups that receive either a treatment or a placebo (i.e., a ‘lookalike’ treatment that contains no actual treatment). Interventional trials allow researchers to evaluate the health and safety effects that are specifically caused by the treatment.

OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

Observational studies do not involve providing new treatments to patients; instead, they aim to understand how participants behave in ‘real world’ settings by studying how people respond to the medications they are already taking. These studies give scientists a more realistic idea of the factors influencing patients’ health and treatment.

 

Phases of clinical trials

Researchers conduct clinical trials in phases, I through IV.