About Clinical Research
Before new drugs are made available to the public, they must be tested very carefully. Pharmaceutical companies must conduct medical research studies before applying to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of the medications before they can be marketed to consumers.
Medical researchers are required to follow strict rules to protect the individuals who participate in clinical studies. Before enrolling a person into a study, researchers must fully explain the study and provide complete answers to any questions.
A study participant may quit the study at any time, for any reason. Also, the FDA or other regulatory agency, the study sponsor, or an ethics committee may stop the study or withdraw a subject from the study at any time.
Clinicaltrials.gov has more information about the rules and regulations regarding study participant rights and clinical trial safety.