Reports on HIV/AIDS: 1990

APPENDIX 2

A Cooperative Project of PHS Agencies
The AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service, provided free of charge as a public service, is
a cooperative effort by several PHS agencies:
* Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The National AIDS Information Clearinghouse,
supported by the Centers for Disease Control, operates the toll-free AIDS Clinical Trials
Information Service.
" Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As the Federal agency responsible for evaluating
and approving new therapies, the Food and Drug Administration grants permission to
pharmaceutical companies to test experimental drugs and biologic products in humans,
monitors the progress of those trials, and reviews the results of the studies. Every
experimental treatment undergoing clinical testing for effectiveness in treating AIDS or
AIDS-related conditions in FDA-approved trials is included in the ACTIS database.
" National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). NIAID has the major
responsibility for funding federally sponsored AIDS clinical trials and supports a
nationwide network of AIDS Clinical Trials Units, enrolling thousands of patients. The
database includes all NIH-sponsored AIDS clinical trials as well as studies sponsored by
other institutes.
" National Library of Medicine (NLM). The National Library of Medicine makes the
information in the database available to its world-wide network of users through its
online services.
What Is an AIDS Clinical Trial?
An AIDS clinical trial is a study conducted to help find effective therapies to treat people
infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Patients choose to take part in clinical trials for many reasons. Usually patients hope for
benefits for themselves-a cure for the disease, a longer time to live, a way to feel better.
Joining a study means taking positive action. Many want to contribute to a research effort that
may help others.
AIDS clinical trials for experimental therapies follow strict guidelines to protect participants'
privacy and safety.
Why Are Clinical Trials Important?
AIDS clinical trials fill an urgent need to find ways to treat the millions of people who are or
who will be infected with HIV. Clinical trials provide important information about new
treatments--benefits and risks, effectiveness, and dosages.
Clinical studies also help improve patient care by identifying which treatments and drugs work
best. Many new therapies are designed on the basis of what has worked in past trials.
Can Anyone with HIVInfection Join a Clinical Trial?
To be eligible to participate in an AIDS clinical trial, an individual must meet the study's
eligibility criteria. Eligibility criteria are different for each study and may include a person's

age, symptoms of HIV infection or other illnesses, laboratory test results, and past treatments.
Applicants for clinical trials are evaluated on an individual basis by the study's clinical
investigator and other health care providers.
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