By taking part in a clinical trial, you’ll improve the standard of care for everyone who’s diagnosed in the future.
Clinical trials are an important part of developing new treatments, finding new ways to use established treatments, and ensuring patients get the best possible care. They sometimes allow patients access to treatments that aren’t otherwise available in New Zealand.
What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials – medical research studies involving patients – test whether a new medicine or procedure is both safe, and more effective than the existing standard treatment. Clinical trials usually compare a promising new treatment with the current standard treatment, once the new treatment has been through years of development. While many trials focus on new drug treatments, there are also trials for surgical procedures, radiotherapy, exercise and supportive care.