Phase III Clinical Trials Is It Better Than Whats Already Available?
Treatments that show a certain level of effectiveness in phase II studies usually must go through one more stage of testing before being approved for general use. Phase III clinical trials compare the safety and effectiveness of the new treatment against the current standard treatment. Phase III clinical trials require a large number of patients, usually at least several hundred. These studies are generally conducted in many places across the country (or even across the world) at the same time. Because doctors do not yet know which treatment is better, patients are often randomized (chosen at random, like flipping a coin) to receive either the standard treatment or the new treatment. When possible, the study is double-blinded. That is, neither the doctor nor the patient knows which of the treatments the patient is getting. Randomization and blinding are discussed in more detail below. As with other studies, patients in phase III clinical trials are watched closely for side effects, and
