Doctors and other healthcare professionals and patients need evidence from clinical trials to know which treatments work best. Without this evidence, there is a risk that people could be given treatments that have no advantage, waste resources, and could even be harmful. Clinical trials help to find out if:

• treatments are safe
• treatments have any side effects
• new treatments are better than available standard treatments

Clinical trials also help to:

• prevent illnesses by testing a vaccine
• detect or diagnose illnesses by testing a scan or blood test
• treat illnesses by testing a new medicine
• find out how best to provide psychological support
• find out how people can control their symptoms or improve their quality of life by testing how a particular diet affects a condition

Protocols are rules that forms the basis for all clinical trials. It determines criteria for participation, schedule of tests, medications and its dosage, as well as length of the study. While in a clinical trial, participants are regularly monitored by the research staff to determine the safety and effectiveness of their treatment.

Participating in a clinical trial can be beneficial to you in the following ways:

• Your medical condition will be closely monitored by healthcare professionals
• Any medical supplies or medicines required for the study will be provided at no cost to you
• You will learn about cutting edge treatments and medications and you might find the new drug much more effective than existing treatments
• You will have the opportunity to be more attentive to your health while aiding the progression of medical research

Clinical studies are supervised by a medical doctor and qualified medical staff who are trained in research ethics and safety. In addition, to ensure patient well being, all our studies are approved by ethical and legal regulatory bodies including Health Canada. Before the beginning of a trial the investigator informs the patient or healthy volunteer of possible risks, such as side effect and adverse reactions that may occur. At this time the patient is given the opportunity to ask questions about the treatment and to gain more knowledge about their condition before signing the consent form. Participants are free to withdraw from the study at any time.