

Many trials are set up so nobody knows who's been allocated to receive which treatment. In most trials, a computer will be used to randomly decide which group each patient will be allocated to. While the treatments are different in the 2 groups, researchers try to keep as many of the other conditions the same as possible.įor example, both groups should have people of a similar age, with a similar proportion of men and women, who are in similar overall health. control group – where you'll be given an existing standard treatment, or a placebo if no proven standard treatment exists.treatment group – where you'll be given the treatment being assessed, or.If you take part in a clinical trial, you'll usually be randomly assigned to either the: Only carried out on medicines that have passed all the previous stages and have been given marketing licences – a licence means the medicine is available on prescription.Ĭontrol groups, randomisation and blinding.The safety, side effects and effectiveness of the medicine continue to be studied while it's being used in practice.Trials often last a year or more and involve several thousand patients.


This is to get a better idea of its effects in the short term.
Topcat trial series#
What happens in a clinical trial? Testing a new medicineĪll clinical trials of new medicines go through a series of phases to test whether they're safe and whether they work.
Topcat trial how to#
Topcat trial trial#
Cancer Research UK: find a clinical trial.Charitiesįor some health conditions, you can find out about clinical trials from the websites of charities. The World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) provides access to clinical trials in countries all around the world. You can also search the Be Part of Research site to find trials relevant to you, and you can contact researchers yourself. The Be Part of Research website has information about clinical trials and other research from several different UK registers. You can also search for information on a number of websites and register your interest in taking part in research. You can ask your doctor or a patient organisation if they know of any clinical trials that you may be eligible to join. A clinical trial compares the effects of 1 treatment with another. It may involve patients, healthy people, or both.
