Medical research in California is conducted in a variety of ways, with the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) taking a leading role. Before any study can begin, the UCSD Institutional Review Board must review and approve the protocol. This board is composed of doctors, ethicists, and community members who guarantee that the trial is safe and ethical. UCSF is another major player in medical research in California.
The university participates in more than 1,700 clinical trials, all of which are conducted in coordination with the UCSF Medical Center. This medical center is consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the United States. Before any clinical trial study can begin, the sponsor conducting the study must submit a letter of request to the Research Advisory Panel. This letter should include the protocol that will be used in the study.
The Research Advisory Panel requires that all individual or multicenter drug clinical trial protocols that include controlled substances from Schedules I and II as the main drug of the study be submitted for review and approval before any center in California can launch. The University of California at San Diego and UCSF are two of the most important institutions for medical research in California. They are responsible for conducting clinical trials that are safe and ethical, while also ensuring that all protocols are approved by the Research Advisory Panel before any study can begin. In addition to these two universities, there are many other organizations and institutions that conduct medical research in California, such as hospitals, research centers, and private companies.
