Regulatory agencies like Health Canada, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and the FDA require that clinical research trials be conducted when developing all treatments, preventions, and devices for diseases or conditions. Clinical research trials are also referred to as research trials, research studies, clinical studies or clinical trials.
Each regulatory agency controls the availability, approval, and supply of therapeutic products in their respective countries. Clinical research trials provide the information needed in order to evaluate these products. There are also strict regulations that the trial doctors and research staff must follow when conducting clinical research trials.
Here are some important things to know about participating in a clinical research trial:
Every clinical research trial is submitted to an Independent Research Ethics Board for approval before the trial can be performed. IREBs are also referred to as Institutional Review Boards (IRB), Research Ethics Boards (REB), and ethics committees (EC). The ethics committee will review the clinical research trial to help protect the rights and safety of research participants.
Visit our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section to learn more about what it means to participate in a clinical research trial.
To help you find a clinical research trial, search using our Find A Trial Tool, to locate one near you today! Trials can be filtered by the status of enrolling or upcoming, by a particular clinic, by a specific condition, or by medical expert.