B6.4 Developing Drugs (Finished) Flashcards
What is done in clinical trials to ensure safety?
A very low dose is given at the start then gradually increased
What is the first and second part of clinical trials?
Firstly in clinical trials, the drug is tested on healthy volunteers to make sure it has no harmful side effects. It is then tested on ill people to find the optimum dose
What is the third stage of drug testing?
If the drug passes tests on animals it is tested on human volunteers in clinical trials
What do double blind trials test for?
Double blind trials test how well a drug works
What does it mean that a medicine must be safe and stable?
Safe - the drug must not be too toxic or have unacceptable side effects
Stable - You must be able to store the medicine under normal conditions and for some time
How are drugs tested in the first stage of preclinical testing?
In preclinical trsting drugs are tested on human cells and tissues in labs
What is the limit of the first step of preclinical testing
Human cells or tissues can’t be used to test a drug that affects the whole or multiple body systems
What happens in the second step of preclinical testing?
The second step of preclinical testing is testing on live animals to test efficacy (if it works), toxicity and find the best dosage
What happens in double blind trials?
In double blind trials patients are put into toe groups, one is given the placebo and the other the new drug. The patient and doctor doesn’t know who got what till results are collected.
Why is a placebo used in double blind trials?
Placebos are used so that the actual effect of the drug can be seen
Why are drug trials double blind?
Double blind trials mean that the doctor monitoring patients is not subconsciously influenced or the patients themselves are
Why are results of drug trials peer reviewed before being published?
Peer reviewing lets other scientist check the results to prevent false claims
