Clinical trials (also called clinical studies or clinical research) are paramount to new drug and treatment development. Clinical trials are research studies that test whether a new drug, treatment or device is safe and effective as treatment for a specific illness or group of people. Clinical trials can also test whether a known drug or treatment is safe and effective for new uses. Within a clinical trial, scientists are looking for critical information about the investigational drug, or device such as “Is it effective?” “Is it more effective than another established treatment?.” Clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments to improve patient care and advance medical knowledge.