Microbiology and Clinical Research

Clinical Trails

Clinical trials are research studies performed in people that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention. Clinical trials must be approved before they can start. Every clinical trial follows a protocol that describes what type of individuals may participate in the trial; outlines the exact schedule of tests, procedures, medications, and/or dosages involved in the trial; and specifies the length of the study. Each trial has specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to determine the exact patient populations that may participate in the trial. Inclusion criteria may be based on age, gender, underlying disease and health history. Clinical trials are divided down into phases, with each phase having a different purpose within the trial. Phase I trials involve a small group of people (20-80) and Phase II trials involve 100-300 people for further evaluation.