Did you know that drugs are researched before they are studied in people in clinical trials? This early research prioritizes safety, which ensures that people in trials are not treated like guinea pigs, a common myth.
First, scientists study cancer cells in the lab to find parts of the cells that drugs could target. This is followed by research to find drugs that could target and kill cancer cells. This is called drug discovery and development. Much of this work is done in universities and colleges.
Next, when a promising drug is found, it is studied more closely in cells grown in lab dishes and animals with cancer. This is called preclinical research. Much of this work is also done in universities and colleges, as well as by biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Drugs that continue to be promising may then enter clinical trials and be studied in people. Read below to learn more about this process.
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Drug development and preclinical studies come before a drug can enter clinical trials
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Drug development involves five main steps, two of which come before clinical trials can start
- Pfizer (video): Drug discovery followed by preclinical testing must occur before clinical trials can start
Last Modified on June 4, 2025