Doctors use clinical trials to determine whether a new drug, treatment, or combination works and is suitable for human consumption. Developing novel medicines for acute diseases like cancer depends on clinical trials. Clinical trials demonstrate what is effective (and ineffective) in medicine and healthcare. They are the most effective technique to discover what can be used to treat conditions like cancer. Clinical studies are intended to provide significant answers to the following: Does the new therapy help people? Doctors will also assess how effectively it functions if it does. Is it superior to the current treatments?
Clinical trials are crucial for identifying novel illness therapies as well as innovative methods of disease detection, diagnosis, and risk reduction. Researchers can learn something about what works and doesn't work in people through clinical trials that cannot be discovered through laboratory or animal testing. In this way, I would like to think that pharmaceutical clinical testing is a working progress of improving the well-being of human life.
After reading the initial post I became slightly alarmed when I read "I fail to see the purpose of clinical testing." Drugs are not designed to cure ailments and are not marketed that way because that would be false advertisement due to the adverse effects that people may experience which is also always noted. To alleviate the pain or problem that is currently being experienced and introduce a quality of life that was not previously had directly before the drug is administered is the goal no matter the duration of the relief. Drugs are not meant to be a substitution to see a provider for extinguishing a problem all together, but they are to be used to bring comfort in any way possible. To examine the level of comfortability through relief a drug can provide, clinical testing must be done.
After reading the initial post I became slightly alarmed when I read "I fail to see the purpose of clinical testing." Drugs are not designed to cure ailments and are not marketed that way because that would be false advertisement due to the adverse effects that people may experience which is also always noted. To alleviate the pain or problem that is currently being experienced and introduce a quality of life that was not previously had directly before the drug is administered is the goal no matter the duration of the relief. Drugs are not meant to be a substitution to see a provider for extinguishing a problem all together, but they are to be used to bring comfort in any way possible. To examine the level of comfortability through relief a drug can provide, clinical testing must be done.
After reading the initial post I became slightly alarmed when I read "I fail to see the purpose of clinical testing." Drugs are not designed to cure ailments and are not marketed that way because that would be false advertisement due to the adverse effects that people may experience which is also always noted. To alleviate the pain or problem that is currently being experienced and introduce a quality of life that was not previously had directly before the drug is administered is the goal no matter the duration of the relief. Drugs are not meant to be a substitution to see a provider for extinguishing a problem all together, but they are to be used to bring comfort in any way possible. To examine the level of comfortability through relief a drug can provide, clinical testing must be done.
The objective of conducting clinical tests on pharmaceutical drugs is for the sake of preventing any complications that could occur later down the line or potential lawsuits. A drug that has been FDA cleared will have undergone extensive testing to clearly identify which individuals will experience side effects and the levels of action they require. If companies had the ability to skip this step as they were were before FDA regulation crackdowns in the 70s, they likely would. For pharmaceutical companies, It is more so about how quickly they can amass capital rather than long term side effects of continuous use of certain prescriptions. The Trial period of clinical drugs is only long enough to show the short term effects whereas the longterm effects may remain unknown.
@amd29 I think there is a point you missed. Clinical studies are not done just to observe whether drugs are working or not. These studies are also done to check if the drug has any side effects. Because while we want to treat the patient, on the other hand, we do not want to make the patient sick in another way. Side effects are written in the package insert of the drugs. These side effects can be learned thanks to these studies and it also gives information about what kind of situations the patient may be exposed to when taking the drug.
While I acknowledge the points you've all raised, I would like to bring attention to the potential diversity in responses to pharmaceutical drugs. While antibiotics have indeed been instrumental in treating infections, it's essential to recognize that not all medical conditions have straightforward cure scenarios with medications. Diseases such as chronic illnesses often require ongoing management rather than complete eradication, and the effectiveness of pharmaceutical drugs can vary widely among individuals. Therefore such trials can target specific avenues of a complex illness.
Moreover, the claim that pharmaceutical drugs have never improved the direction of human wellbeing might benefit from a nuanced consideration. While medications play a vital role in managing symptoms and improving quality of life, there have been instances of drugs with side effects or limited efficacy, highlighting the importance of careful evaluation during clinical trials.
Clinical testing for pharmaceutical drugs is all about making sure these meds are safe and effective while also making people's lives better. They might not always be a magic cure, but they play a big role in keeping individuals healthy and improving their quality of life. And remember, tons of drugs have made a real difference in healthcare by effectively tackling long-term conditions and boosting the overall well-being of countless people.
First, I disagree with your claim that "No one has ever claimed that their illness was cured by any pharmaceutical drug." As a simpler example we can mention the first use of penicillin. Before antibiotics were invented, people died from simple infections. Today we have countless diseases that the use of medicines helps to prevent, treat and eradicate these diseases.Second, clinical testing of pharmaceutical drugs is very important to determine the safest and most effective dose of a drug.Also, clinical testing of a drug helps determine the side effect of a drug, so the doctor can gather very important details about the toxic or side effects that a drug may have on a certain group of people.
Hello,
It seems that you question the purpose and effectiveness of clinical testing for pharmaceutical drugs, as you believe that these drugs have not been claimed to cure diseases or improve human wellbeing. However, the clinical testing of pharmaceutical drugs serves several essential purposes. Firstly, it's crucial for assessing the safety of the drug in a controlled setting, identifying potential side effects, and determining the appropriate dosage. Secondly, clinical trials aim to establish the drug's efficacy, which may not always mean a cure but can involve improving symptoms, slowing down the progression of a disease, or providing relief. These improvements can significantly impact a patient's quality of life, even if a complete cure isn't achieved. Additionally, clinical testing helps in comparing the new drug with existing treatments, ensuring that it offers a better or safer alternative. In essence, while pharmaceutical drugs may not always provide immediate cures, they play a vital role in managing and ameliorating various medical conditions, thereby contributing to the overall betterment of human health and wellbeing.
@krp67 To add onto this and emphasize you're point; yes these drugs do need to go through animal trials first, but they then must be confirmed with human trials. As you mentioned, the human body is not exactly one to one with any animal model; as such the efficacy and safety of drugs must be tested through human trials to confirm results, even if they seem safe or acceptable after animal trials.
To add onto the point, different populations and races of people have different genetic makeups and interactions to drugs and treatments. For example, it is known that people with ginger hair have a higher pain tolerance--affecting what their dosage for pain medications would need to be to still be effective for them. This possible higher dosage would still need to be proved to be safe for the average person. People metabolize things differently from age group to age group, to race, to sex; all of these are important factors that must be considered and thoroughly tested through human trials for any drug.
Hi amd29,
I feel as if clinical testing of pharmaceutical drugs is ESSENTIAL to assess their safety, efficacy, and potential side effects. Unlike medical devices, drugs interact with the body in complex ways, so testing helps ensure they work as intended with good biocompatibility. Even though the drugs do not cure all diseases, they can help improve symptoms, slow disease progression, and enhance quality of life. For example, with antibiotics you can help eliminate infections. In cases of cancer, chemotherapy targets cancer cells and can slow down the growth of it. Without clinical trials, these benefits would be unknown, ultimately contributing to human wellbeing by providing effective treatment options.
