Scientific research for medical purposes, takes place in preclinical and clinical settings as well as after clinical trials and approval of therapies.
Having achieved positive, pre-clinical results, further research of therapies concerning safety and efficacy for human application is then commenced. If the expectations can be confirmed during these trials, further studies are carried out with the aim of obtaining marketing authorisation as a drug or medical device.Usually the initiator of such trials are commercial corporations and a commercial purpose is the center of attention.
Contrary to this, non-commercial clinical trials can also be found. Ideas and concepts for such trials usually origin from medical professionals and researchers in the academic and non-academic sectors. Their goals, among others, is the optimisation of therapies, based on experiences made within the scope of already authorised applications. Reaching higher efficacy, improving tolerance and providing a more comfortable therapy application for the patient are the most common goals of non-commercial research.
Non-commercial research must be conducted following the same strict prerequisites as commercial research. The financing of a project is oftentimes very difficult. The results of these studies are of great importance for patients. Without non-commercial research, many topics that are important for a patient would not be subject to research. It is precisely these improvements in therapies, that are fundamentally important for patients. For example, such optimizations can be achieved by new combinations, changed dosages or changes in the application form.