Drugs from Plans and Drug Testing Flashcards
Who was William Withering?
A scientist from the 1700s.
What did Withering do?
- discovered an extract of foxgloves could be used to treat dropsy
- the extract contained the drug digitalis
- started testing different concentrations of digitalis-this was known as his digitalis soup
- he found if there was too much digitalis his patients would be poisoned and if there was too little it would have no effect
- trial and error allowed him to discover the right amount to administer
What old techniques did Withering use?
He made a chance observation and the trial and error method.
What are the steps in modern day drug testing?
- Computers are used to model potential effects
- Tests carried out on human tissue in the lab
- Test carried out on live animals
- Clinical trials, split into 3 phases
What is the first phase of clinical trials
It involves testing the new drug on a small group of healthy individuals.
Why is the first phase of clinical trials done?
It is done to find out safe dosages, side effects and the body’s reaction to the drug
What is the second phase of the clinical trials?
The drug is tested on a larger group of actual patients
Why is the second phase of the clinical trials done?
To see how well the drug actually works.
What is the third phase of the clinical trials?
The drug is compared to existing treatments. This involves testing hundreds, even thousands, of patients. The patients are split into two random groups. One group is given the new treatment and the other is given a placebo.
Why is the third phase of the clinical trials done?
In order to get reliable results as they are using a larger sample size.
What is a placebo?
An inactive substance, that looks exactly like the drug, is given to patients.
Why are patients given a placebo drug?
It allows researchers to see if the drug actually works and makes the results more valid
What is a double-blind study?
A study where both the doctors and the patients do not know who has been given the actual drug and who has been given the placebo.
Why are double-blind studies carried out?
It reduces bias in results as the attitudes of the patients and the doctors cannot affect the results.
