What Are Clinical Trials?
All new medications (also called investigational drugs) must be proven to be safe and effective before the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) will allow them to be prescribed by any doctor. Investigational drugs are proved safe and effective by testing them in clinical trials. Patients volunteer to take investigational drugs in clinical trials for many different reasons. Here are a few reasons why you may want to participate:
- Clinical trials answer important scientific questions that may benefit future generations.
- You may get access to new investigational drugs before they are widely available.
- Other medications may not be effective or may have stopped being effective.
Clinical trials are not for everyone. Before participating in a clinical trial, you should read all the information given to you, listen carefully when the doctor or nurse explains the trial, and make sure that all your questions are answered. Once you understand all the potential benefits and risks of a trial, you will be asked to sign a document giving your consent to participate.
There are 3 types of clinical trials:
- Phase 1 studies include a small number of patients. They test the safety of the drug and determine the correct dosage.
- Phase 2 studies include a larger number of patients. They test if the drug could be effective and they check safety again.
- Phase 3 studies are large. They are designed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the drug.
The PREVAIL Trial is a Phase 3 study, taking place around the world, to confirm that MDV3100 is safe and effective in men with advanced prostate cancer.
You can learn more about clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov
And be sure to explore additional Resources for Prostate Cancer Information and Support
In the US and Canada
Call: 855-977-3825
In other countries
Submit: a request
for more information...
if you meet the entry requirements and can travel to one of the clinical trial locations.
Get a printable PREVAIL fact sheet
