A clinical trial is a research study on human volunteers
designed to answer specific health questions. The purpose of a
clinical trial is to find out whether a medicine or treatment
regimen is safe and effective against a specific condition or
disease. Clinical trials compare the effectiveness of the study
medicine or treatment against standard, accepted treatment or a
placebo (an inactive substance used to compare results with an
active substance). Early (phase I) trials establish the safety,
toxicity, and safe dosing ranges of a new treatment. A clinical
trial may be sponsored by a government agency, such as the
National Institutes of Health, or a pharmaceutical or
biotechnology company. All clinical trials are guided by
government regulations to ensure that participants are not
likely to be harmed and that they fully understand the risks and
benefits of participating. eMedicineHealth Medical Reference
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