Therapeutic Research

Therapeutic research is the discipline that helps develop evidence upon which is based the development and use of drugs and medical devices.

Framed by a methodology, ethics and stringent legislation, therapeutic research conducts studies in general practice, in hospitals and in accredited public or private research facilities.

It uses a scientific approach based on clinical tests.

Although clinical tests of drugs are most widespread, clinical research may also focus on understanding the mechanisms of the disease or the development of new preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic techniques.

Skip the laboratory to the human

It all starts with "preclinical research" performed by academic or pharmaceutical laboratories, on biological models (in vitro tests) or animals (in vitro tests). When the researchers believe they have found a potentially effective treatment, it goes to the next stage of "Clinical Research" or search in humans. it is rigorous and objective comparison, in patients, the promising new treatment to the best known treatments.

Treatments can be drugs or medical devices (implanted devices, prosthetics, etc...).

Is the experimentation in humans necessary?

Although the tests in vitro or in animal models provide valuable information in the early stages of research, only tests on humans can confirm that the results obtained in these steps are transferable to humans. Clinical tests are therefore needed and required before to place new treatments on the market.