What is Clinical Research and Why Is it Important? Clinical research is the process of investigating a new intervention or medication through experimentally controlled investigation. It is an important part of advancing our understanding of human health and disease. It can take many different forms: observational studies, laboratory experiments, clinical trials, etc.

Clinical research is a rigorous scientific process that is used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of medications and treatments in people. Types of clinical studies that are conducted include: Phase I trials: These studies test the safety and side effects of a new drug in healthy volunteers Phase II trials: These studies evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of a new drug in patients with a particular disease or condition Phase III trials: These studies compare the effectiveness and side effects of two different treatments against each other to determine which treatment is more effective Clinical trials are conducted between the phases of studies to determine the effectiveness and progression of a new treatment, as well as comparing it against an existing treatment. Phase 1 trials are usually conducted in healthy volunteers. Phase 2 and 3 trials are conducted in patients with a particular disease or condition, but not typically before the trial has been approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB).