Once the clinical trial is over, the results of the study are analyzed and then published. This takes time. The period between the end of the clinical trial and the publication of the results is the post-trial period. 

What does it mean to you when the study is over? This depends on the study, but it is described in the information you received and in the informed consent form. You will be told which arm of the study you were in – treatment or control group. In addition, you may be able to continue using the tested drug after the study ends, or you may also be able to participate in a follow-up study: in some cases, patients in a Phase III study who were in the control group may participate in an open-label extension of the study, so that they may eventually receive the tested treatment.

In principle, you will also have access to the results of the study. Regulation (EU) No. 536/2014 stipulates that a summary of the results must be made public no later than one year after the end of the study. In any case, your treating physician will ensure that you receive the best possible care, even after the study.