In short, clinical trials is another term for “studies with human beings”. Huntington research often follows four steps: 1) Discovery, 2) Pre-clinical Phase, 3) Clinical Trials and 4) Approval.
The first step is the discovery phase. In Huntington’s Disease a huge landmark was the discovery of the gene in 1993. The second step is the pre-clinical phase. In this phase different treatments and drugs gets tested in animals. This testing is done to measure safety. How does for instance the body reacts when researchers try to “switch off” the Huntington gene?
If the treatment is safe, the next step is to measure safety and efficacy in humans. This third step is known as clinical trials. The fourth step is approval. This is when the drug gets approved and available to people.