1. Home
  2. Health Topics
  3. Search Health Topics
  4. Clinical trial

Clinical trial

Top of the page

A clinical trial is a research study on human volunteers designed to answer specific health questions. The purpose of a clinical trial is to find out whether a medicine or treatment regimen is safe and effective against a specific condition or disease.

Clinical trials compare the effectiveness of the study medicine or treatment against standard, accepted treatment or a placebo. (A placebo is an inactive substance used to compare results with an active substance). Early (phase I) trials establish the safety, toxicity, and safe dosing ranges of a new treatment.

A clinical trial may be sponsored by a government agency, such as the Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) of Health Canada, or a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company. All clinical trials are guided by government regulations. These rules make sure that participants are not likely to be harmed and that they fully understand the risks and benefits of participating.

Is it an emergency?

If you or someone in your care has chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding, it could be a life-threatening emergency. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately.
If you are concerned about a possible poisoning or exposure to a toxic substance, call Poison Control now at 1-800-567-8911.

Thanks to our partners and endorsers:

Northern HealthBritish Columbia College of Family PhysiciansProvincial Health Services AuthorityVancouver Coastal HealthBritish Columbia Medical Association: Doctors of BCIsland HealthCollege of Pharmacists of British ColumbiaCollege of Physicians and Surgeons of British ColumbiaFraser Health AuthorityCollege of Dietitians of British ColumbiaInterior HealthCollege of Dental Surgeons of British ColumbiaBC Centre for Disease Control