MitoCanada is committed to curating an active list of clinical trials important to patients and mitochondrial disease research.
What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. They are the primary means of determining if a new treatment is safe and effective and are designed to evaluate medicines, surgeries or behavioral interventions.
Why would I participate in a clinical trial?
People participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Some participate to receive the newest treatment. Others are looking for additional care from staff of the clinical trial. And, some may simply want to help others. Whatever the motivation, clinical trials offer hope for many people and an opportunity to help discover better treatments for the future.
Is it safe to participate in a clinical trial?
Generally speaking, it is safe to participate in a clinical trial. The structure in a clinical trial aims to protect the safety of the participants through close contact and monitoring. It also ensures results are accurate, well-documented, reliable and trusted-worthy.
It is important to note that all medical tests, treatments and procedures have risks associated with them. Risks may be higher in clinical trials because there are more unknowns, especially in phases I and II before the treatment has been studied in large groups of people. Some new treatments may cause serious side effects or be uncomfortable and may not work or be any better than standard treatments already available.