Testing medicines

• What should you be able to describe by the end of the video?

  How new medicines are discovered and tested
• What types of medicines were discussed in the last video?

  Antibiotics and painkillers
• Where did new medicines often come from in the past?

  Plants and microorganisms
• What is digitalis extracted from?

  Foxglove plant
• What painkiller was extracted from willow trees?

  Aspirin
• Who discovered penicillin?

  Alexander Fleming
• What is the current method for developing most new drugs?

  Synthesized by chemists
• What must all new drugs be tested for?

  Toxicity, effectiveness, and optimal dose
• What is the first stage of drug testing called?

  Preclinical testing
• Why is preclinical testing not carried out on humans?

  A drug could be extremely toxic
• What is preclinical testing carried out on?

  Cells, tissues, or live animals
• What happens after preclinical testing?

  The drug undergoes clinical testing
• What is the purpose of the first stage of clinical testing?

  To check drug safety in humans
• What is given to healthy volunteers during the first stage of clinical testing?

  Very low doses of the drug
• What is determined after the drug is found safe in clinical testing?

  The optimal dose for treatment
• What is a placebo?

  A tablet with no active drug
• Why might some patients improve when given a placebo?

  They believe they are being treated
• What is a double-blind test?

  Neither patients nor doctors know the treatment
• What do the test group and control group receive in a double-blind trial?

  Active drug and placebo, respectively
• What is the purpose of a double-blind trial?

  To prevent bias in treatment observation
• Where can you find more questions on testing medicines?

  In the vision workbook
• What are the stages of drug testing?

  1. Preclinical testing

  • Conducted on cells, tissues, or animals
  • Checks toxicity

  1. Clinical testing

  • First stage: low doses to healthy volunteers
  • Checks safety in humans
  • Determines optimal dose

  1. Use of placebos in trials

  • Double-blind tests to prevent bias