Clinical trials of medicines

Updated 17 March 2020

Investigating the efficacy and side effects of medicines

Clinical trials are undertaken to find out how medicine works, what side effects it causes and how it is metabolised in the body. Trials are conducted on new medicines as well as medicines that are already on the market in Denmark.

Medicine is tested on volunteers

Clinical trials are conducted on healthy volunteers or patient volunteers. Anyone participating in a clinical trial must receive both written and oral information about the trial, and participants must give their consent before the trial starts.

Clinical trials must be approved

In Denmark, clinical trials must be notified to the Danish Medicines Agency by the person, individual or group that takes overall responsibility for the trial (the sponsor), but a doctor or dentist (the investigator) must always participate in the conduct of the trial.

The Danish Medicines Agency evaluates both the quality of the investigation and the patient safety of clinical trials.

In Denmark, clinical trials must also be notified to a research ethics committee, which performs an overall assessment of the trial's ethical aspects. Before a clinical trial can be started, approvals must be obtained from both a research ethics committee and the Danish Medicines Agency.

Report adverse reactions in clinical trials (SUSAR)

Report adverse reactions in clinical trials

Application to conduct a clinical trial

Guidelines and forms for application to conduct a clinical trial as well as notification of amendments to an already authorised clinical trial can be found in the menu to the left. Here you can also find information about assessment times and fees and go to other information on clinical trials.

Clinical trial inspection

The Danish Medicines Agency performs inspections of clinical trials to ensure compliance with the standards of good clinical practice, GCP. We inspect clinical trials both in Denmark and abroad. This includes inspections coordinated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Information about clinical trial inspection

Questions and answers about clinical trials

If you are not sure whether or not your clinical trial needs to be notified to the Danish Medicines Agency, please read our questions and answers about clinical trials

Clinical investigations of medical devices

Information about clinical investigations of medical devices

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