[Problems in clinical research]

In recent years, the requirements of society towards the quality of research have increased. Especially in the perspective of European integration, ethical and conceptual problems have to be revisited. Clinical research is alimented by technical development and the results of fundamental and pharmacological research. The obligation of converting the most recent knowledge into conventional treatment is the driving force of development. Clinical research is fraught with multiple risks, mainly the risks incurred by patients enrolled in clinical studies, and the risks of drawing erroneous conclusions from badly designed studies. This is the reason why the organization of clinical studies must satisfy the highest quality standards. Prospective randomized double-blind studies are doubtless the best design although they usually involve the difficult problem of patient information. As concerns publications, the picture may be distorted. Thus all the studies should be published exhaustively. Clinical research is thus a great challenge from both the intellectual and the ethical points of view.