Clinical Research

When it comes to clinical research, generic drugs enjoy an advantage over the branded products as generic prescriptions are replica of those branded drugs that have already been tested under clinical trials for the efficacy and safety. Thus the overall cost involved in the development of these generic pills adds up to only a small part of the original cost associated with the testing and manufacturing of that particular preparation. In general, a generic drugs pharmacy can produce brand drugs alternative when the patent over the innovator drug expires.

Whereas, a pharmaceutical company first manufacture a drug under the patent protection which not only endows it with an exclusive right to fabricate and sell the drug, but also shows way to recoup the overall cost involved in the development and testing of the drug. And once the patent gets expired, there is no way for its renewal and to introduce novel version even with a minor change to the existing drug's composition, the company again has to apply for the patent and will again bear the cost associated with new clinical trials. This is where generic drugs make cut above the rest and are not required to undergo clinical trials.

A Clinical trial, in healthcare, basically is the application of the scientific method or formulation to human health. A streamlined clinical trial centers on myriad defined methods and precise definitions as to answer researchers' questions with impeccable precision. They constitute only a small fraction of the comprehensive research that is executed while the development of a novel therapy, Before making its final way to the clinical trial stage, a prospective drug is first explored, purified, distinguished, and tested in the labs.

On average, clinical trials are performed to assess the efficacy and safety of new drugs, medicinal devices, and psychological therapies for the patient's health. Accomplished in stringently restricted scientific surroundings, the design and objectives of these trials are filed in a clinical trial protocol. As far as the types of clinical trials are related, they can be assorted in five categories namely treatment trials, prevention trials, diagnostic trials, screening trials and quality of life or supportive trials.

Furthermore, they are mainly classified into four phases and the drug's development procedure revolves around all these four phases. After having passed these four stages, only then any preparation is approved for the public use. But before initiation of the clinical trials, extensive pre-clinical research is also conducted on the drugs.

In the Unites States, 50 percent tax credit is levied on specific types of clinical trials. But above all, it is more important that they must be conducted after having received full consent of the contributing human subjects and must be meticulously organized by suitable regulatory authorities.