Entries for the website glossary.
A method based on chance by which study participants are assigned to a treatment group. Randomization minimizes the differences among groups by equally distributing people with particular characteristics among all the trial arms. The researchers do not know which treatment is better. From what is known at the time, any one of the treatments chosen could be of benefit to the participant
Synonyms: randomisationA clinical trial in which participants are randomly (i.e., by chance) assigned to one of two or more treatment arms of a clinical trial.
HIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant.
Synonyms: resistantA type of anti-HIV drug which works by interfering with an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, that HIV needs to reproduce.
Synonyms: RTIAn antiviral drug which is effective against a range of viruses including herpes, the hepatitis C virus and several strains of influenza.