Liability Risks Hamper Clinical Trials

Clinical trials, the testing of new medical treatments on humans, are often spoken of as an important source of new treatments for disease, but they are also an important alternative source of health care for many thousands of patients. Many illnesses have approved treatments that are of little or no benefit at all. Other illnesses may have robust treatment regimens, but such treatments may not be effective for a large cross-section of patients. In other cases, a treatment may exist, but the cost may be prohibitive for many patients or their insurance, or Medicare or Medicaid may not cover it.