The standard is the best treatment which is currently available. The greatest anticipation and hope for a new treatment begins when it is tried on humans. The safety and effectiveness of the treatment along with the possibility of side effects and risks are what is studied. Four phases of clinical trials exist and each phase is used to ferret out purposeful information. Phase I clinical trials involve giving the treatment being studied to a small number of trial participants.
Researchers decide how to administer the treatment and how much is safe to administer.
Phase II trials study the effect of the treatment on a specific disease or condition. During Phase III the new treatment is compared to the standard treatment. Phase IV clinical trials serve to apply the new treatment to the patient's treatment plan, for example, by using it in combination with other effective drugs. Participants in clinical trials are volunteers. A person expressing an interest in becoming a volunteer is made aware of the possible benefits and risks and asked to sign an informed consent by those conducting the study.