Research – clinical trials
A clinical trial is a research study that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of a new medical treatment, device, or intervention by comparing it to a standard treatment, a placebo, or no intervention at all.
Clinical trials are essential for advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care.
Participation in clinical trials
If you’re interested in participating in a clinical trial, you can:
- Ask your doctor or a patient organization if they know of any relevant clinical trials you may be eligible for.
- Search for trials on websites like Be Part of Research, which provides information about clinical trials in the UK, or the Full-Service CRO Services – Worldwide Clinical Trials.
- Check the websites of disease-specific charities, such as Versus Arthritis, Cancer Research UK, Make a donation to the MS Society – page 1, or Homepage | Parkinson’s UK (parkinsons.org.uk), for ongoing trials related to those conditions.
Benefits and considerations
Participating in a clinical trial can provide access to new treatments and help advance medical research. However, there are also potential risks and inconveniences to consider, such as:
- New treatment may not be more effective than the standard treatment or placebo.
- You may experience unknown side effects.
- Time commitment for screening, follow-up sessions, and potential overnight stays.
- Restrictions on activities like diet or alcohol consumption.
Some clinical trials offer payment or cover travel expenses, while others do not. It’s essential to understand the risks and inconveniences before enrolling.
Clinical trial phases
Trials for new medicines typically go through several phases:
- Conducted on a small group of healthy volunteers to test for safety and determine appropriate dosing.
- Tested on a larger group of patients with the condition to evaluate short-term effects and side effects.
- Involves even larger groups of patients and compares the new treatment to an existing standard or placebo to assess its effectiveness and side effects.
- Continued monitoring of the treatment’s safety and effectiveness after it has been approved and is in use.
Randomization and blinding
In most clinical trials, participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment group (receiving the new treatment) or the control group (receiving the standard treatment or placebo).
This random allocation helps reduce bias in the results. Many trials are also “blinded,” meaning neither the participants nor the researchers know which treatment each participant is receiving until the end of the study.
Ethical and regulatory oversight
Clinical trials in the UK must be approved by an independent research ethics committee and authorized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to ensure they meet ethical and safety standards.
Furthermore, The Health Research Authority (HRA) is responsible for protecting the rights and interests of trial participants.
Accessing trial results
The results of clinical trials are typically published in medical journals, such as The Lancet, British Medical Journal (BMJ), or The New England Journal of Medicine, as well as online libraries like the Cochrane Reviews | Cochrane Library.
While full articles may require a subscription, search engines can often provide access to summaries or abstracts.
Finally, for any further information, please visit the NHS website, Clinical trials – NHS (www.nhs.uk)