How Clinical Trials Work

What volunteering for a clinical trial and research study entails

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all medications pass a series of tests before they are allowed to be marketed and distributed to the general public. The pharmaceutical companies that have developed these drugs have entrusted LICRA to conduct the clinical trials that are part of the FDA approval process. To volunteer, see our active clinical trials. Although the protocol for each clinical trial is different, volunteering for a research study generally involves the following steps:

1. Contact LICRA by filling out our form or by calling us toll-free at 1-877-78-STUDY (1-877-787-8839).
   
2. Our health professionals will answer any questions you may have over the phone
   
3. We will take your complete medical history.
   
4. If you fall into our eligible criteria for the clinical trial, you will be asked to meet with one of our board certified physicians for an appointment and physical exam.
   
5. During your exam, LICRA healthcare professionals will explain the study to you and you will be asked to sign an Informed Consent form.
   
6. You may be asked to undergo additional tests such as endoscopy, EKG, X-rays and complete blood work all of which will be done at no charge to you.
   
7. Your participation in the clinical trial will begin. You will be given complete instructions. In order for the clinical trial’s results to be accurate, it is important to follow the instructions completely. You will not incur any charges when you volunteer for one of LICRA’s clinical trials, and for most studies, you will receive compensation for your time and travel expenses.
   
8. The research team will ask you to take the trial medications or partake in certain treatment regimens. You will be carefully monitored and will have access to on-call physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The length of the clinical trial varies from study to study.
   
9. You may be asked to keep records or answer questionnaires.
   
10. You will be asked to return for follow up visits so that the doctors can monitor and evaluate your progress.
    
11. Once the clinical trial is completed, the pharmaceutical company will present the results to the FDA for their approval. The clinical trial findings may then be published in medical or scientific journals.
    
12. When the FDA approves the medication, the pharmaceutical companies can begin marketing and distributing the drug.
    

In addition to physical benefits you may experience by partaking in a clinical trial, you will also have the satisfaction that you may be helping thousands of other patients in the future!

Interested in participating in our clinical trials and research studies?

If you would like to be a part of our clinical trials and research studies, please see our list of active clinical trials and contact us. We encourage you to read through our site to learn more about clinical trials and the highly qualified physicians that conduct all of our medical research studies. We look forward to serving you.