An<unk>  is a clinical trial not funded by pharmaceutical or biotechnology company for commercial ends but by public-good agencies (usually universities or medical trusts) to advance medicine. These trials are a valuable component of the health care system; they benefit patients and help determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and devices, and play an important role in the checks and balances that regular commercially oriented clinical trials. A typical area of<unk> s is the advancement and optimization of already existing therapies. Thus,<unk> s may for instance test how a combination of registered drugs may improve treatment outcomes; or they may apply registered treatments in additional, less frequent indications. Such research questions are not a primary focus of for-profit companies, and thus these trials are typically initiated by individual investigators or<unk>  research organizations. There are many different organizations which have an interest in<unk> s and facilitate or take part in their conduct. These organizations include: *Hospitals, universities, researchers and institutions who view trials as a source of income and prestige, and receive private, charitable and governmental funding. *Pharmaceutical or biotech companies who view the development and commercialization of treatments as their business. *Regulators who wish to ensure treatments are safe and work effectively. *Patients and patients' organizations and associations who want faster access to advanced treatments.<unk> s are run at<unk>  sites, such as medical schools,<unk>  hospitals, and universities; and non-academic sites which may be managed by so-called site management organizations (SMOs). Site management organizations are for-profit organizations which enlist and manage the physician practice sites that actually recruit and follow patients enrolled in clinical trials. In some cases,<unk>  members participate in clinical trials as members of SMOs.
Academic clinical trial
Natural history study
Multicenter trial
Community-based clinical trial
Randomized controlled trial
Placebo-controlled study
Clinical study design
Pragmatic clinical trial