Developing drugs

• Four stages of drug testing

  
  

  Human cells and tissue

  Live animals

  Healthy humans

  Unhealthy humans
• Drugs are tested on animals for efficacy, toxicity, and dosage
• Toxicity

  
  

  How harmful the drug is
• Efficacy

  
  

  Whether the drug works and produces the intended effect
• Dosage

  
  

  Concentration that should be given and how often it should be given
• Drugs are given to healthy humans first as they have better immune systems that can fight the drug if it is harmful
• Placebo

  
  

  Fake medicine given to a group of people to check if people aren't just feeling better because they think they're getting medicine
• Double-blind trial

  
  

  Patient and doctors don't know if the patient is getting the medicine or placebo

  Done to avoid bias