How much do clinical trials pay?
Each trial will compensate patients a different amount, but $50-100 for each visit is a fairly common range for Phase 2–4 trials (Phase 1 trials often pay substantially more). Further, most trials will cover the costs of a travel to-and-from the clinic.
How do clinical trials work?
After a researcher reviews your profile, they may choose to invite you in to a screening appointment, where they'll determine if you meet 100% of the eligibility requirements. If you do, you'll be sorted into one of the treatment groups, and receive your study drug. For some trials, there is a chance you'll receive a placebo. Across trials 30% of clinical trials have a placebo.
Typically, you'll be required to check-in with the clinic every month or so. The average trial length is 12 months.
How do I participate in a study as a "healthy volunteer"?
Not all studies recruit healthy volunteers: usually, Phase 1 studies do. Participating as a healthy volunteer means you will go to a research facility several times over a few days or weeks to receive a dose of either the test treatment or a "placebo," which is a harmless substance that helps researchers compare results. You will have routine tests during these visits, and you'll be compensated for your time and travel, with the number of appointments and details varying by study.
What does the "phase" of a clinical trial mean?
The phase of a trial reveals what stage the drug is in to get approval for a specific condition.
Phase 1 trials are the trials to collect safety data in humans.
Phase 2 trials are those where the drug has some data showing safety in humans, but where further human data is needed on drug effectiveness.
Phase 3 trials are in the final step before approval. The drug already has data showing both safety and effectiveness.
As a general rule, Phase 3 trials are more promising than Phase 2, and Phase 2 trials are more promising than phase 1.
Do I need to be insured to participate in a medical study ?
Clinical trials are almost always free to participants, and so do not require insurance. The only exception here are trials focused on cancer, because only a small part of the typical treatment plan is actually experimental. For these cancer trials, participants typically need insurance to cover all the non-experimental components.
