Why do clinical trials?
A clinical trial is a study of a new or relatively new drug in humans. The reason we perform trials is to make sure that new drugs are safe to use and effective in treating illness. Before your doctor can prescribe any new drug, it has to pass thorough tests for safety and effectiveness.
To begin with, every new drug formulation has to undergo rigorous tests in a laboratory. Once the results from those tests confirm that the formulation is safe to be taken by humans, the drug is given to healthy volunteers in Phase I clinical trials.
The results collected during the trial can help LCG Bioscience to determine important information about the drug and its use in treating human conditions, such as:
- How quickly the drug is absorbed
- How quickly the drug is broken down in the body (metabolised)
- If there are any side effects
- How the drug might interact with other drugs
- How often the drug needs to be taken
- If certain groups of people (e.g. asthmatics, diabetics) have trouble absorbing the drug
- The best form of administering the drug (e.g. tablet or injection)
After a drug has been given to healthy volunteers, it can then be tested in patients, to start to see if the drug actually works (Phase II clinical trials).
We perform both Phase I and II clinical trials, so need healthy volunteers and patients to help us.
