When choosing a treatment option, it helps to know how it was developed. Today co-hosts Dr. Gillian Goddard and Erin Stein walk through the backbone of our healthcare: clinical trials. We walk through how a drug gets from an idea to the pharmacy shelf through preclinical lab and animal studies, pilot studies, and phases one through three, covering safety, dosing, and proof that the drug works. We explain why new drugs are usually tested on top of standard care instead of against nothing, how much it all costs, and how the patent clock adds pressure. We cover what happens after FDA approval, including phase four studies and registries like the ones that tracked women who became pregnant while taking GLP-1s. Before your doctor can prescribe a medication or procedure, it goes through this extensive process. Join us as we go behind the curtain.

If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov or clinical.nih.gov for more information and to search trials.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

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This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.