About Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies performed in people that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention. They are the primary way that researchers find out if a new treatment, diagnostic drug or medical device is safe and effective in people.  Before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows a clinical trial to begin, scientists perform laboratory tests and studies in animals to test a potential new drug or device’s safety and efficacy. If these studies show favorable results, the FDA allows the intervention to be tested in humans.