development of drug testing

Question 1

digitalis

Answer 1

heart conditions

Question 2

what do drugs need to be tested for before theyre released to the public

Answer 2

effectiveness and any potential side-effects

Question 3

pre-clinical trial testing

Answer 3

computers modelling potential effects
testing human tissues in the lab
animal testing

Question 4

stages of clinical trials

Answer 4

if passed pre-clinical trial stages without problems it will be tested on humans
phase 1: small group of HEALTHY individuals to check for side-effects & correct dosage that should be taken

phase 2: larger group of unhealthy patients (who may require the drug)

determine effectiveness of the drug

phase 3: compared to existing drug to determine if its more or less effective

large number of patients split into 2 groups, each of which receives either existing or new drug

Question 5

when are placebos typically introduced into clinical trials?

Answer 5

phase 2

Question 6

what is the placebo

Answer 6

looks like the drug but contains no active ingredients

Question 7

how are placebos used in clinical trials

Answer 7

patients split into 2 groups given either drug or placebo but both told they’re being given drug

Question 8

whyre placebos useful

Answer 8

removes bias from investigation

humans may show placebo effect where changes to symptoms occur or they report changes because they think theyre being given a drug that will help with their medical issue- show improvements in their health due to the belief that theyre receiving the drug

Question 9

when are double blind studies introduced in clinical trials

Answer 9

phases 2 and 3

neither doctors nor patients know if the patient is receiving the drug or the placebo

Question 10

how are double blind clinical trials useful

Answer 10

removes bias

reducesthe effect that attitudes of the doctors or patients may have on the results

doctor may not report changes seen in patients health if they know the patient is receiving the placebo

Question 11

digitalis soup: how does it help

Answer 11

william withering treated his patients suffering with heart failure using digitalis which strengthens heart muscle helping it to pump more effectively
helps to move fluid out of the body and into circulation which reduces swelling, particularly in the legs

dropsy=edema, swelling of tissues due to accumulation of fluid
can be caused by heart disease

took an extract from foxgloves (poisonous to humans) containing digitalis

Question 12

what was digitalis soup?

Answer 12

as fox gloves are poisonous wittering made different versions of his remedy containing different concentrations of digitalis he called digitalis soup

experimented to find most effective concentration of digitalis that would treat dropsy without poisoning the patient