clinical trials key terms

• placebo

  • a drug with no active ingredients designed to mimic a real drug
  • used to test if the effects of a drug on a patient are just psychological
• double-blind trial

  • the volunteers do not know which group they're in, and neither do researchers, until the end of the trial
• toxicity

  • how harmful the drug is
  • may have dangerous side effects
• efficacy

  • how effective the drug is
• dose

  • the amount of drug given to the patient