Diabetes
Frequently Asked Questions
29. What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies conducted with human volunteers to find out if a new experimental drug, therapy, medical device, lifestyle change, or test will help treat, find, or prevent a disease. New therapies are tested on people only after laboratory and animals studies have shown promising results. The Food and Drug Administration sets strict rules to make sure that people who agree to be in the studies are treated as safely as possible.
For general information about participating in clinical trials, go to http://nihseniorhealth.gov/participatinginclinicaltrials/toc.html.