History of Clinical Trial Development and the Pharmaceutical Industry

The history of clinical trials and the pharmaceutical industry is closely tied to the history of bioethics, which shape the regulation of clinical research and pharmaceutical development. The history of clinical trials begins with the recognition of disease as a discrete condition that is similar enough from patient to patient to allow the rational application of the experimental method to determine which therapies work and which do not. This article presents an overview of some of the key developments and ongoing issues that should serve as an introduction to the rich history of clinical trials and the rise of the pharmaceutical industry. Keywords: clinical trials; pharmaceutical industry; therapeutics; bioethics

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