Clinical trials can give patients new hope

New drugs for everything from menopausal symptoms to serious illnesses always begin with clinical trials. Yet there are still many misconceptions about how they are conducted. 

“It’s thanks to the people who participate in clinical trials that we get new, safe treatments,” says Helena Litorp, a physician and medical director at CTC.

Clinical trials are the part of research in which new drugs or medical devices are tested on people. The purpose is to determine whether the treatment is safe, how it works in the body, and whether it helps patients.

“You can conduct many tests in the laboratory, but ultimately you have to understand how the drug works in the body,” says Helena Litorp.

In early phases, drugs are often tested on healthy volunteers. In later phases, patients with the disease or condition that the treatment is intended to treat participate. The treatment is often compared with a placebo or an existing treatment.

“It’s a scientific way to determine whether the effect really comes from the drug and not from other factors,” she says.

A common myth that it's dangerous

A common misconception is that clinical trials pose significant risks to participants. According to Helena Litorp, safety requirements are, on the contrary, very comprehensive.

“When a drug is administered to a human for the first time, it’s done in very controlled stages. You start with one person, carefully monitor the results, and then proceed step by step,” she says.

Participants are monitored through testing, medical examinations, and systematic data collection. Data collection, in particular, is crucial for assessing both efficacy and safety.

Important for Public Health

With an aging population, there is a great need for new treatment methods so that people can live as healthy lives as possible. Clinical trials are therefore absolutely crucial.

“My background is in gynecology and obstetrics, so women’s health is particularly close to my heart. Here at CTC, we’ve conducted several clinical trials with products that have subsequently been brought to market, such as a hormone-free treatment for menopausal symptoms and an antibiotic-free treatment for vaginal infections,” says Helena Litorp.

In recent years, drug development has progressed very rapidly in certain areas, and new ground has been broken. 

“I think we all know of close relatives who, thanks to clinical trials , now have access to effective treatment for a disease that was once incurable. Clinical research isn’t abstract—it actually saves lives, ” she says.

At the same time, Sweden has lost ground in the field of clinical trials in recent years, despite a strong tradition in the life sciences.

“It’s important that more clinical trials are conducted in Sweden. That way, Swedish patients will have earlier access to new treatments and medications that have been tested under Swedish conditions,” concludes Helena Litorp.