Whether it is discovering a therapy that could work for an individual patient faster or finding new ways to treat the root cause of a disease, at UCB, we are committed to continuing to unlock the science to improve the lives of patients.

But, before a breakthrough in science can be considered as a treatment option for patients, it must be studied extensively to determine safety and efficacy. First, a medicine must show positive results when tested in human cells, and then, it may be studied in volunteers through clinical research.

What is clinical research? Clinical research is the study of medicines, devices, products, or treatment options to determine safety and effectiveness (efficacy) for potential human use. Clinical research may be used for prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or for relieving symptoms of a disease. All medicines must pass safety and efficacy tests if they are to be approved by regulators, like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), before they are made available for patients. Clinical research is an essential part of the drug development process and can take 6 to 12 years to complete.

More than 260,000 studies have been collected around the world since 2008. At UCB, we’ve sponsored 100+ clinical studies in different disease areas, including epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

We are proud that as a company, we invest about a quarter of our revenue in cutting-edge scientific research and development.

Interested in learning more? Follow us as we explore clinical research and the important part it plays in the drug development process. Also, check out UCB’s clinical studies or for information on U.S. clinical trial registration and results, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

For more in our series on clinical studies, check out:

• 4 Phases of Clinical Research Studies
• The Pros and Cons of a Clinical Research Study