Medical Studies – From Lab to Patient

All new medicines are subjected to a lengthy research and testing phase before being approved for use in the treatment of illnesses.

The very first stage, known as the pre-clinical phase, involves the collection of a large volume of data from lab and animal experimentation. This data provides initial insights into the effectiveness and safety of a particular medicine. This first phase can often take years.

Only once this phase has been completed are clinical trials performed to test the effectiveness of the medicine on humans. Initially, the medicine is administered to healthy volunteers. This phase of testing determines any adverse effects, examines how the medicine’s active ingredients are metabolised by the body, establishes the medicine’s safety, and much more. It also determines the optimum dosage, any interactions with other medications and whether it should best be administered e.g. in tablet, gel or injection form.

Only once sufficient evidence has been gathered with regard to its effectiveness and safety is a medicine evaluated and approved by the regulatory authorities.

Would you like to know how one of our clinical trials works? Would you be interested in volunteering to take part in one of our trials? If so, please take a look at What’s Involved .