Thoughts from a Lab Rat

It all starts with the first study. First of all, doing studies is not for everyone. Obviously, people who are squeamish about needles probably should stay away. My biggest recommendation is that you find a short study, less than a week so you can test the waters. By doing a short study, you will be able to see how the process works, how it feels to have 10 to 20 blood draws in a day and how it feels to be secluded from society. If you find that you don’t like how things are going, I do recommend at least finishing the study. A lot of hard work goes into putting a study on and while yes, you do have the right to quit a study at anytime, for any reason, once you have started taking the study drug, the safest thing to do is to finish out the study. If you do ask to be dropped from a study early, the study doctor will typically ask you to stay for at least one night to make sure that the study drugs are not having any adverse side-effects. Again, this is for your safety.

So, what should you expect during your first study? A lot of what happens during the study takes place at the screening. You will usually have ECG’s, vital signs, blood draws and examinations by the study doctor. Depending on the study, there may be additional procedures such has heart monitors, urine collection and position restrictions. All of the study procedures are outlined in the informed consent. Chat with some other people at the screening. Chances are, many of the other people there have done a study or two and can share some of their experiences. It’s usually not as bad as many people think it is. Most people who think being a research subject is dangerous or freaky probably have never done a study before. Of course, the media and film portrayals don’t help. Sure, things do happen but as long as you are truthful while enrolling in a study, you will minimize most risks.

Spaulding Clinical, located about 40 miles north of Milwaukee, has been open now for about a year. While only one study has been completed thus far, the current study cohorts comprises of around 240 volunteers. As with any new business, it takes time to develop a client base. As studies are completed and Spaulding’s reputation increases, so should the amount of studies available to potential volunteers.
The facility offers volunteers the comforts of home while on the road. Each room accommodates two volunteers with private televisions and ample room to store personal belongings. The common areas are open and bright with ample seating areas. The facility encompasses the modern commercial requirements while still providing a homely atmosphere. Other than the lack of studies, volunteers have had little to complain about.
If you live in Wisconsin or Illinois, give Spaulding Clinical a try. Be sure to tell them you heard about them from Just Another Lab Rat!
(800) 597-4507
525 S. Silverbrook
West Bend, WI 53095

What is a Clinical Research Organization? A Clinical Research Organization also known as Contract Research Organization, supports the Pharmaceutical industry in many ways with the primary objective of conducting clinical research trials. There are thousands of sites across the US. They can be as small as sole practitioner or as large as a hospital. The major clinics that I profile on my site only make up a small percentage of the total sites as the majority of the sites are the small sites that do condition specific trials (patient studies). IE, a weight-loss doctor would only conduct weight-loss studies, a diabetes clinic would only conduct diabetes studies and so on. The major clinics, more commonly known as Phase I clinics conducts studies covering nearly all conditions. In fact, what the medication is for is usually a mute point as Phase I trials gather the pharmacology information rather than to see if the drug actually works for its intended purpose.

Every CRO is slightly different, in the way they manage the trials. It is a competitive industry and CRO’s with marginal results will be passed up for CRO’s with the best track records. What kind of results are the CRO’s trying to get? The most accurate results. This primarily focus on having all the data collected uniformly and accurately. It is widely assumed that the CRO’s decide how to carry out the studies. This is false. The sponsor (drug company) comes to the CRO with their requirements of the study and the CRO conducts the study as requested.

The bottom line is that CRO’s are businesses, not charities. They are here to make money, not give it away. The money they pay you is a stipend for services rendered. Operating a clinic is not as simple as it seems. It takes a large amount of preparation to run a study. It is also very expensive. It costs on average $450 to screen a potential research subject. And that is regardless of whether the subject is accepted into the study. For the CRO’s, it is imperative that the studies are carried out correctly. And you should be equally invested in that goal. If a sponsor gets poor results from a CRO, it will choose a different CRO in the future which in turn will reduce your study opportunities. So be appreciative of the chance you have to not only help medical science but to also earn a little extra change in the process.