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FAQ
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a research study that tests how well medical interventions work in people. Most are randomized controlled trials, where participants are randomly assigned to receive the treatment being tested or a control, either a placebo or the standard current treatment.
What are the phases of clinical trials?
Phase 1 tests safety and dosing in small groups. Phase 2 tests efficacy and side effects in larger groups. Phase 3 confirms effectiveness in hundreds to thousands of people, comparing against standard treatment. Phase 4 monitors long term effects after regulatory approval.
What does randomization mean?
Randomization assigns participants to treatment groups by chance, like a coin flip. This ensures groups are similar in age, health status, and all other factors, both known and unknown. It is the single most important feature separating reliable trials from unreliable ones.
What is a placebo and why is it used?
A placebo is an inactive substance that looks identical to the real treatment. It allows researchers to measure the true treatment effect by accounting for expectation effects and natural disease fluctuation. Placebos are unethical when an effective treatment already exists, so new drugs are then tested against the standard of care.
Where can I find ongoing clinical trials?
ClinicalTrials.gov is the largest registry worldwide, listing over 400,000 studies. The WHO ICTRP portal aggregates international registries. You can search by condition, location, and phase. Talk to your doctor about whether trial participation is right for your situation.
What is informed consent in a trial?
Informed consent means participants understand the trial purpose, procedures, risks, and alternatives before agreeing to join. Consent is voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time. Ethics committees and institutional review boards oversee every trial to protect participants from harm and coercion.