Research library

Every entry states its evidence before anything else

Some of these are approved medicines with large randomised trials behind them. Others have never been tested in people. The difference is labelled on every card.

How to read these labels

Research status

Approved medicine: Licensed by at least one major regulator for a defined medical use.
In clinical trials: Tested in people in registered clinical trials; not licensed everywhere.
Early human studies: Small human pharmacology studies exist; no outcome trials.
Preclinical only: Published work is in cells or animals. Human effects are unknown.
Unapproved / investigational: Sold or discussed without approval, and often with safety warnings.

Evidence level

Strong evidence: Multiple large randomised controlled trials in people.
Moderate evidence: Randomised or controlled human trials, narrower in scope or number.
Limited evidence: A small number of human studies, or indirect human data only.
Preliminary evidence: Early signals only; findings have not been replicated.
Insufficient evidence: No adequate human efficacy evidence has been published.

Educational information only. Nothing here recommends the use of any compound, and several entries are included precisely because the evidence is weak or the safety record is poor.

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