Infection and Response — AQA GCSE Practice Question 01.7

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Think about the main goals of testing a new medicine on humans. What are the two most important things scientists need to find out before a drug can be sold to the public?

Full Answer

1. To check for safety and harmful side effects. 2. To check for efficacy (to see if the drug actually works). (Also acceptable: to determine the correct dosage).

Clinical trials are essential for drug development. The primary reasons are: 1. **Safety:** To ensure the drug is safe for humans and to identify any potential harmful side effects or toxicity. This prevents causing harm to patients. 2. **Efficacy:** To confirm that the drug is effective in treating the target disease or condition. It needs to be proven that the drug actually works as intended. 3. **Dosage:** To determine the most effective and safe dosage to administer. Too little might not work, and too much could be harmful.

Common mistakes

✗ Vague answers like "to see what happens" or "to make sure it's okay". Be specific about safety, efficacy, or dosage. ✗ Saying "to test on humans" - this is what a clinical trial is, not why it's done.

Chemical A has not been tested in large-scale clinical trials in the UK. It is important for drugs to be tested in clinical trials before the drugs are approved for use by the public. Give two reasons why.

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Common mistakes

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