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. 

Study to Help the AIDS Research Effort (SHARE)

Whitman-Walker Clinic is proud to be a member of SHARE, a branch of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. MACS is an ongoing cohort study of HIV/AIDS in gay and bisexual men. In response to the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, MACS first recruited participants in 1984, with the WWC site opening in 2002. A diverse group of HIV-positive and HIV-negative men visit WWC twice a year to provide invaluable information on the natural history of HIV disease, the impact of treatment on disease progression, the role of host and viral genetic factors, the impact of opportunistic infections and co-infections, and identification of psychosocial and behavioral risk factors. Today, MACS participants and investigators have contributed to a broad range of important findings in over 1,100 published articles.

MACS/SHARE has opened enrollment to men who have become HIV-positive within the last year. With documentation of recent seroconversion, a potential participant can meet with our staff and determine if he would like to join the study. Please contact us with any questions about the study:

Justin Schmandt - Research Specialist
202-745-6157, jschmandtwwc.org

Miguel Iracheta - Research Specialist
202-745-6137, mirachetawwc.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 202-745-7000.