Clinical trials help doctors to assess if the new medicine is more effective or safer than old medicines or treatments, and to determine the correct dosage of the medicine. Terrible things do happen as indicated by the incident in France and another recent well-publicized case of six healthy men experiencing organ failure after taking a research drug in London’s Northwick Park Hospital. Some volunteers have received confidential compensation payments. The purpose of the clinical trials is to see what unexpected side effects emerge, and how severe or common they are. So as well as experiencing the benefits of a new medicine, there may also be side effects for some people.In company sponsored clinical trials, compensation should be available for participants who suffer personal injury (including death) caused by participation in clinical trials.