ABSTRACT
Every clinical trial is an experiment which aims to improve knowledge about a new treatment for patients. Sensible researchers often do a pilot study before the clinical trial begins. As the name suggests, this is a mini study involving limited numbers of patients. The objective is usually to ensure that the chosen design, patient selection and trial procedures are feasible. The designer must obtain all this information, collate it and then draft a trial protocol. Many clinical trials, however, test drugs which can be matched and the doctor and/or the patient are unaware which treatment is being given. Considerable improvements are often seen in patients 'treated' with placebos. This is known as placebo response and can be a major problem to pharmaceutical companies who usually have to prove that a new drug is better than a placebo. Many clinical trials, however, test drugs which can be matched and the doctor and/or the patient are unaware which treatment is being given.
