About Clinical Trials

What are clinical trials?

Doctor holding clipboard with patient — Clinical trials look for new and better treatments.

Clinical trials are carefully designed research studies. Therapeutic clinical trials test treatments in people with certain diseases. Some clinical trials do not offer treatments. Non-therapeutic clinical trials collect information to help us learn more about the disease or its effects. A non-therapeutic trial may not offer a medical benefit to the patient. But what scientists learn from the study may help other patients in the future.

Clinical trials often use experimental treatments. An experimental treatment has not been fully tested and is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is not part of standard medical care.

Clinical trials may study:

New medicines
Existing medicines for a different disease or group of patients
Different medicine doses or schedules
How to make other therapies more effective
Different combinations of treatments
New methods, devices, or equipment

Many current treatments were first studied in clinical trials. Those who take part in clinical trials can help in the search for new treatments.

Clinical trials help find:

Cures for diseases
Better treatments with fewer side effects
Ways to support long-term health and quality of life

Michele and Joseph, parents to a child with cancer, discuss reasons to consider a clinical trial, questions to ask, and hopeful thoughts. Watch their story.

Clinical trials versus standard medical care

Clinical trials are different from standard medical care.

Therapeutic clinical trials seek to improve treatments. Researchers must follow a specific research plan or protocol during a clinical trial.

Differences between clinical trials and standard care

Clinical trials

Treatment is experimental
Treatment follows the research plan
Treatment benefits are not fully known
Side effects are not fully known
Patients may get standard care and experimental treatment or experimental treatment only

Standard medical care

Treatment has been tested
Treatment based on individual patient’s needs
Treatment benefits are known
Side effects of the treatment are known
Patient only gets standard care

Safety in clinical trials

Clinical trials have steps to ensure safety. A review board must review and approve every clinical trial. This board is an independent group of experts.

The review board also:

Monitors the study as it happens
Makes sure the study is ethical
Makes sure risks are reasonable compared to potential benefits

Find Clinical Trials

Learn about current clinical trials from around the world.

Search clinical trials

Key points about clinical trials

Clinical trials are an important part of finding cures.
Most treatments today were part of clinical trials.
Independent boards review and approve trials to make sure they are safe and ethical.
Taking part in a trial may benefit you. It will also help researchers create better treatments for future patients.

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Reviewed: October 2023

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