Why are clinical research studies done?
Medical science is always looking for better or new solutions to treat diseases. Before a new procedure, device, or drug can be used as a treatment it must be tested for effectiveness and safety. Most likely, every doctor-prescribed medication that you use was first tested in a clinical research study. Clinical trials are key to improving medicine for all patients. Without clinical research,the medications and/or medical devices available for treating all diseases would not change or improve. Although much information is gained by laboratory and animal studies, new treatments must undergo controlled testing in human subjects because their safety and effectiveness may be different in humans. They may also differ from one person to the next. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires clinical research before it can approve a new treatment as safe and effective for public use. Clinical research is the only accurate way to discover how a treatment works in human subjects.
