What is a Clinical Research Organization?
A Clinical Research Organization (CRO) is a company contracted by a pharmaceutical, biological or medical device manufacturer to manage clinical research studies and other services to support product development. There are four phases of clinical trials:
Phase I
- Establishes the effect of a new drug in humans
- Usually conducted on small (12-50) populations of healthy volunteers and/or patients
- Determines a drug's toxicity, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion
Phase II
- Tests a drug for safety and efficacy in a relatively small (200-500) population of patients
- Patients are afflicted with the disease or condition for which the drug is being developed
Phase III
- Tests the drug in relatively large populations of patients (500-5,000 or more)
- Usually compares the new drug to placebo or to the standard therapy currently being used for the disease of interest
- Results usually provide package insert info (Prescribing Information for doctors, and Patient Information materials)
Phase IV
- Conducted after a drug has been approved by a Regulatory Authority
- Compares the drug to competitor drugs, to explore additional patient populations or disease indications, or to further assess the safety of the drug
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