Developing drugs

• What do new medical drugs have to be tested and trialled for?

  Efficacy - How effective it is

  Toxicity - How safe it is

  Dose - How much is needed
• What do preclinical test humans cells and tissue for?

  Efficacy and Toxicity
• What do preclinical trial test live animals for?

  Toxicity and Dose
• What do clinical trials test healthy volunteers for?

  Low doses are given to test for toxicity and side effects
• What do clinical trial tests patients for?

  For optimum dose
• In clinical trials, what are some patients given?

  A placebo.
• What is a placebo?

  A medicine that does not contain the active drug being tested
• Why is the placebo used during clinical trials?

  Used a control so a comparison can be made to see if the drug being trialled is actually having an effect
• Why do clinical trials have to be double blind?

  neither doctor or patient know who has received the real drug/placebo until trial is over. To stop any results being biased.
• What happens after trial doctors publish their results in a journal?

  their work us peer reviewed beforehand by other scientists in the same area to check the results are correct and prevent false claims.