28 May Myths about Clinical Trials

Myth: I am a guinea pig who is taking medication for the first time.

Fact: There are four distinct stages of clinical research. Clinics testing a medication’s
safety and tolerability conduct what is called Phase 1 research. During this stage of
testing, a healthy volunteer is usually hospitalized and monitored closely while being
treated.

However, in Phases 2, 3, and 4, the medication has passed safety testing and is
instead being tested for its effectiveness. Participants in most of these studies do not
have to be hospitalized. At the Institute for Advanced Medical Research (IAMR),
only Phases 2­-4 are conducted.

● Phase 2 and 3: Diagnose and study the symptoms of the volunteers.

● Phase 4: Long­term usage. After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved the drug, participants come into the clinic to monitor long­term
progress.

On­site at IAMR, you are not a guinea pig for medication. IAMR conducts
Phases 2-­4 on site but also has six university affiliation with which it conducts Phase 1
clinical trials. These institutions include Medical College of Georgia at Augusta
University, Duke University, Mercer University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the
Clinical Trials Network at Harvard University. If you have any other questions or
concerns about clinical research, please do not hesitate to call us at 770-­817-­9200.