RAY ENGEBRETSEN CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT

What is a clinical investigation?

A clinical investigation is carefully designed to test the effects of a medication, medical treatment or devices in a group of volunteers. Clinical investigations are an important step in making new medications available.  They measure the drug's ability to treat a condition, its safety and its possible side effects.

This information helps doctors and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decide if a drug is safe and effective for patients. The FDA requires that a drug be proven safe and effective for an illness or disease before it is made widely available to physicians and patients.

During an individual's participation in a clinical investigation, he or she will see doctors and nurses frequently. In many clinical investigations, participants may receive either the drug being studied or placebo.  Investigation-related physical examinations, laboratory tests and medication are usually provided at no cost throughout the trial. 

SHARE Study

Whitman-Walker Clinic is proud to be a member of SHARE, the Study to Help the AIDS Research Effort.  SHARE is the Johns Hopkins University branch of the MACS, the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. MACS is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of HIV infection in homosexual and bisexual men. The MACS provides important information on the natural history of HIV disease, the impact of treatment on HIV-mediated disease progression, the role of host and viral genetic factors, the impact of opportunistic infections, co-infections and malignancies, post-HIV host immune activation, identification of psychosocial and behavioral risk factors, and novel methods for analyses of cohort data.  MACS/SHARE is no longer recruiting participants, but if you are from another MACS site and are interested in moving to the DC site, or if you would like more information on the MACS/SHARE study, please do not hesitate to contact:

 Max Menna - Study Coordinator
 202-745-6137  mmennawwc.org

Yiga Josayma  – Research Manager
202-745-6157  yjosaymawwc.org

Quynh Vo– Research Specialist
202-745-6197 c-qvowwc.org

Where can I get more information?

The Clinical Investigations department is located in the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, at 1701 14^th St., NW. For more information, call 202-745-6172.