Clinical trials are very important for making sure new medications are safe and work well. These trials go through a clear process that usually has four steps:
Phase I: This first step tests the drug on a small group of healthy volunteers. Researchers want to check if the drug is safe, how much to give, and how the body handles it. For example, they might give a new painkiller to 20 to 100 people to see if they experience any side effects.
Phase II: In this phase, the drug is tested on a larger group of patients – usually between 100 and 300 – who actually have the disease the drug is meant to help. Here, researchers check if the medication works effectively and look more at its safety. For instance, if a new treatment for diabetes lowers blood sugar levels a lot, it can then move to the next phase.
Phase III: This stage involves thousands of participants and tests the drug across different groups of people. The goal is to confirm if the drug works well and to watch for any negative reactions. For example, if a new cancer treatment works better than the usual options, it can be sent for approval by health authorities.
Phase IV: After the drug is on the market, this phase looks at long-term effects and checks for any rare side effects that may not have appeared before.
By following these careful steps, clinical trials help make sure that patient safety comes first and that only effective medications are available to the public.
Clinical trials are very important for making sure new medications are safe and work well. These trials go through a clear process that usually has four steps:
Phase I: This first step tests the drug on a small group of healthy volunteers. Researchers want to check if the drug is safe, how much to give, and how the body handles it. For example, they might give a new painkiller to 20 to 100 people to see if they experience any side effects.
Phase II: In this phase, the drug is tested on a larger group of patients – usually between 100 and 300 – who actually have the disease the drug is meant to help. Here, researchers check if the medication works effectively and look more at its safety. For instance, if a new treatment for diabetes lowers blood sugar levels a lot, it can then move to the next phase.
Phase III: This stage involves thousands of participants and tests the drug across different groups of people. The goal is to confirm if the drug works well and to watch for any negative reactions. For example, if a new cancer treatment works better than the usual options, it can be sent for approval by health authorities.
Phase IV: After the drug is on the market, this phase looks at long-term effects and checks for any rare side effects that may not have appeared before.
By following these careful steps, clinical trials help make sure that patient safety comes first and that only effective medications are available to the public.