Clinical trials, or drug trials, investigate new treatments or improve existing treatments.

These treatments have already been through thorough tests and in some cases, may be new combinations of medicines that are already available. People participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Healthy volunteers say they participate to help others and to contribute to moving science forward. Participants with an illness or disease also participate to help others, but also to possibly receive the newest treatment and to have the additional care and attention from the clinical trial staff. Clinical trials offer hope for many people and an opportunity to help researchers find better treatments for others in the future.