Bacterial Pathogens and Antibiotics - Drug Development and Testing

Question 1

How many stages are there in drug testing

Answer 1

3

Question 2

what happens in stage 1 (preclinical testing)

Answer 2

1) drugs are tested on human cells and tissues in the lab

2) however you can’t use human cells and tissues to test for drugs that affect whole or multiple body systems

Question 3

what happens in stage 2 (also preclinical)

Answer 3

1) Test the drug on live animals - this tests efficacy, discovers its toxicity, and finds the best dosages
2) UK law states any new drug must be tested on two different live mammals

Question 4

what happens in stage 3 (clinical trial - e.g human testing)

Answer 4

1) first the drug is tested on healthy volunteers to make sure it has no harmful side affects when the body is working normally
2) the drugs are tested on people suffering from the illness - the optimum dose is found
3) Patients are put into two groups, one is given the drug, the other a placebo
4) Clinical trials are always done blind for the patient, often double blind (the doctor as well) so the doctor isn’t subconciously influenced by their knowledge
5) The results aren’t published until they’ve been through peer review, this prevents false claims