Clinical trials are the most important step of getting a new drug approved for marketing, as well as the most expensive, and it’s no secret that the odds of bringing a project from first-in-human testing through to market are pretty long.
Once a program reaches the pivotal trial stage, the
odds are supposed to improve, of course. But every year, plenty of drugs fail
at the last hurdle after millions or even billions of dollars have been
invested in them.