Abraham Research Participants
About Clinical Research
Clinical research brings to the world the discoveries and advances in medical therapeutics. Clinical research studies or clinical trials are designed to answer specific questions. Before an investigational medication reaches the clinical trial stage, it has to go through rigorous preclinical research in the laboratory which takes several years. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing Organization estimates that about 5 out of 5000 compounds tested in the preclinical stage make it to clinical trials. Pharmaceutical companies then apply to the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct research studies on humans, which has strict guidelines to ensure the safety of volunteers and the accuracy of tests. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) examines and monitors each research protocol to ensure that the study does not present an undue risk and that the patient’s rights are protected. Any doctor who conducts clinical trials must first apply and be approved by the IRB.