Why are Clinical Trials Performed?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires Clinical trials for a new drug or device to assure its safe and effective for use. There are clinical trials that compare existing treatments and new treatments to determine which is better. Current, approved treatments are called “standard treatments.” Some clinical trials are used to study different ways to use the standard treatments to increase their effectiveness, make them easier to use, and/or decrease side effects. Studies are done to learn how to best use the treatment in a different population, such as children, in whom the treatment was not previously tested.
For most trials, researchers, doctors, and other health professionals administer the clinical trials according to strict rules set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA sets the guidelines to make sure that people who agree to be in studies are treated as safely as possible.
Here are some of the different types of clinical trials:
- New treatments, new combinations or formulations of medications, new approaches to surgeries or other kinds of therapies.
- Prevention trials that search for better ways to handle prevention. They seek to prevent disease in people who have never had a certain disease or stop the disease from returning. These trials include testing medicines, vitamins, vaccines, minerals or lifestyle changes.
- Diagnostic trials. This type of trial is performed to find better procedures or tests to diagnose a certain disease or condition.
- Screening trials, or testing the best way to detect certain diseases or health conditions.
- Quality of Life trials are conducted to explore and measure ways to improve the quality of life and comfort for individuals with a chronic illness
If you are interested in participating in clinical trials in the Salt Lake area go to JeanBrownResearch.com
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