Have questions about clinical trials?
These resources will help you understand clinical trials and their vital role in moving medicine forward.
FAQs
Clinical trials are conducted by a sponsor who starts the trial and has authority over it. Sponsors for clinical trials include organizations, such as medical centers, pharmaceutical companies, federal agencies or offices, such as the National Institutes of Health, and individuals, such as doctors or other healthcare providers.
Clinical trials allow us to learn about the safety and effectiveness of the new medicine. The government protects participants in clinical trials with specific regulations and guidelines. Through the process known as informed consent in clinical trials, researchers will give you complete and accurate information about what will happen during the trial and explain your rights as a participant. Informed consent helps you understand the details of the trial and its potential risks before you agree to participate.
Yes. When you take part in a clinical trial, you will receive medical care related to the trial from the study doctor. But you can continue to see your regular doctor for other medical conditions.
An average clinical trial can run anywhere from several months to four to five years.
Compassionate use, also referred to as expanded access, is an option that makes a new, unapproved medicine available to eligible patients. Ask your doctor about compassionate use, and visit Servier’s Patient Services website for more information.
Most clinical trials pay for the cost of the medicine, tests, and visits. Details about costs are included in the informed consent document, which you receive before agreeing to participate.
Some trials may pay participants or reimburse them for costs such as travel, meals, and parking. These payment details are included on the informed consent document, which you receive before agreeing to participate.
Participating in a clinical trial is voluntary. You can leave a clinical trial at any time and for any reason.
Visit Servier Clinical Trials to learn more about our ongoing clinical trials.
Glossary of Terms
Clinical research is the study of health and disease in people. The goal of clinical research is to improve our understanding of human health and discover safe, effective medicines and ways to prevent disease.
Clinical trials are a specific type of clinical research for finding out whether a new medicine is safe and effective in people. By testing new ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease, clinical trials help us advance medicine and improve treatment options.
Crossover is when people who receive the standard treatment or placebo may receive the new medicine as well.
Clinical trial researchers select participants who meet key requirements known as eligibility criteria. These eligibility criteria are specific characteristics of potential participants, such as age, gender, disease type and stage, current medical conditions, and medical history.
Informed consent is a process that outlines the benefits and risks of a clinical trial as well as participants’ rights. Informed consent in clinical trials keeps you safe by educating you about the trial. The research team explains the details of the clinical trial, including its purpose, length, and the types of procedures and tests it involves. You also receive an informed consent document with these details and an explanation of the trial's potential benefits and risks. Once you have reviewed this information, you can decide whether you want to participate.
Clinical trials are divided into four phases that build on one another. As trials move through these phases, we improve our understanding of new medicines.
A placebo is an inactive medicine that helps the research team better understand the active medicine they are testing.
The standard of care is what doctors agree is the best existing way to treat your disease. If you participate in a clinical trial, you may receive the standard of care, placebo or new medicine.
Educational Resources
A hub for patient resources and advocacy information.
A place to learn more about our innovative cancer therapies.
An online database where you can search for clinical trials around the world.
National Institute of Health’s guide on clinical research trials.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s patient resources on clinical trials.
Information on clinical trials for patients and caregivers.
Information on the importance of diversity and inclusion in clinical trials.
Accessible clinical research information for patients and families.
Information on expanded access.
Want to learn more about the clinical trials Servier is conducting?
Explore Servier’s clinical trials. ⟶References
- Basics About Clinical Trials. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/patients/clinical-trials-what-patients-need-know/basics-about-clinical-trials. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- Are Clinical Trials Safe? National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/clinical-trials/safety. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- Learn About Studies. National Library of Medicine. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study-basics/learn-about-studies. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- Deciding Whether to Be Part of a Clinical Trial. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/making-treatment-decisions/clinical-trials/what-you-need-to-know/who-does-clinical-trials.html. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- The Basics. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/basics. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- Compassionate Drug Use. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/making-treatment-decisions/clinical-trials/compassionate-drug-use.html. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- Being in a Clinical Trial. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/making-treatment-decisions/clinical-trials/what-you-need-to-know/what-does-a-clinical-trial-involve.html. Accessed January 19, 2024.
- Yeh, J. Gupta, S., Patel, S. et al. Trends in the crossover of patients in phase III oncology clinical trials in the USA. ecancer 14, 1142 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2020.1142.
- Types and Phases of Clinical Trials. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/making-treatment-decisions/clinical-trials/what-you-need-to-know/phases-of-clinical-trials.html. Accessed January 19, 2024.
*Disclaimer: This website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment.