Chronic ConditionA chronic condition is a long-lasting disease that can be controlled but not cured. The term chronic is usually applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months.Common chronic diseases include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and diabetes. In(...)
Class effectClass effect refers to the similar outcomes, therapeutic effects and similar adverse effects of two or more medicines. All products within a class are assumed to be closely related in three concepts: a similar chemical structure, mechanism of action, and pharmacological effects.
Classification of a medicinal productIn the EU there are two classifications of medicinal products for human use:
medicinal products subject to medical prescription
medicinal products not subject to medical prescription
Further subcategories may exist on a national level.
ClearanceClearance is a term in pharmacokinetics which describes the volume of plasma that is completely cleared of a substance per unit time. The usual units are mL/min. The total body clearance will be equal to the renal (kidney) clearance + hepatic (liver) clearance + lung clearance although for(...)
Clinical developmentClinical development is one step in the process of bringing new medicines or treatments to the market. Based on non-clinical research (microorganisms/animals), it refers to clinical trials, which are done in people. They follow different phases designated as Phase I, II, III (and IV after(...)
Clinical effectivenessAs a component of a dossier submitted for HTA assessment, clinical effectiveness is a measure of how well a particular treatment works in the practice of medicine. It depends on the application of the best knowledge derived from research, clinical experience, and patient preferences.
Clinical efficacyIn medicine, clinical efficacy indicates a positive therapeutic effect. If efficacy is established, an intervention is likely to be at least as good as other available interventions to which it will have been compared. When talking in terms of efficacy versus effectiveness, efficacy measures(...)
Clinical pharmacologyIn relation to clinical development, pharmacology deals with the effects of compounds (medicines in development) in healthy volunteers and in patients. It usually includes pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. In the evaluation process the action and adverse effects of compounds can be(...)
Clinical phaseThe clinical phase of medicines development is the one involving humans, and is different from the ‘non-clinical’ or ‘pre-clinical phase’ in which studies are performed in labs or in animals (such as for pharmacology/toxicology analysis). Clinical studies are conducted in four steps, called(...)
Clinical PracticeClinical practice is the treatment and management of patients by healthcare professionals supported by clinical-based evidence. There are clinical practice guidelines that have been designed to assist health professionals and patients in decisions about appropriate health care for specific(...)
