The role of clinical drug trial methodology with respect to studies of new drugs. Clinical trials of timolol.

The use of the Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) to assess the safety and efficacy of a new drug or treatment can provide a clear evaluation of the relative benefits and risks of the new therapy as compared to the longer-established treatment methodology. In some cases, such as insulin, the benefits are immediately apparent; in other cases, such as photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the consensus is not so easily obtained, and the clinical trial can supply the answer. Furthermore, the RCT provides the opportunity to identify adverse reactions, in particular those which present with a seemingly unrelated or unexpected set of symptoms. In conducting clinical trials of timolol, researchers must be alert for beta-adrenergic antagonist effects, such as were seen with practolol, and should be especially careful to note early, mild reactions which may be the forerunners of later, more severe or irreversible adverse effects.