Patients
Clinical research is a vital part of providing new and advanced treatments to patients. When a pharmaceutical or medical device company has a new drug or device that has been bench or animal tested and demonstrated as safe, the next step is to determine both the safety and the effectiveness of the drug or device in people. All clinical trial protocols are thoroughly reviewed and vetted by both the FDA and a diverse board called an Institutional Research Board (IRB) to ensure that the benefits of the trial are commensurate with known and/or unknown risks. Clinical research sites, such as CRP, work with sponsors who sponsor the trial and must gain research data from a statistically significant number of patients in order to show the FDA that the drug/device is safe and effective for its intended use.