One popular quotes that comes to mind is “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. This is exactly what clinical trials are for. Of course there is risk, but clinical trials are designed to minimize the risk of patient injury/death. The patients are told of the risks, and the effects that were seen in previous trials on animals and in vitro. Unfortunately there is no better way to test drugs. There is no way to know the effects of a drug on humans without human trials. This is humane testing, unlike that which we’ve seen done in the past. There is always risk, that’s life. Mitigating risk to ensure safety allows drugs to be tested to determine efficacy. Although some patients get harmed, the vast majority are helped. These drugs go on to help improve/save millions of lives.