If it's your first time participating in clinical trials, you might have heard of a washout period. But what is a washout period? As one of the leading companies for clinical trials, Celerion would like to inform you of what a washout period is. Since clinical trials are heavily dependent on their participants, a washout period allows for trials that can deliver accurate results while ensuring participants are fairly compensated.

Washout Periods and Clinical Trials

The washout period is the length of time that a participant enrolled in a trial may not receive any treatment before they begin the study. If someone is participating in a blood pressure medication trial, it's important that any traces of their existing medication are erased from their bloodstream before they start taking the experimental drug. If they are already in a trial, there may also be a washout period if the participant is switching drugs during the trial. Trial regulators are continuously working with researchers and patients to determine the optimal washout period for a given trial. These guidelines vary among trials and the severity of the disease being studied.

The standard washout period ranges from two to six weeks. At Celerion, we require at least a 30-day washout period between the conclusion of one study and the beginning of the next one.

Getting Qualified to Participate in a Clinical Study

Celerion is a clinical research organization that conducts trials in the US in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Phoenix, Arizona. Celerion offers a streamlined registration and screening process for potential trial participants.

The first step is to complete an online registration form, including a comprehensive medical questionnaire and details regarding your ability to become involved in a given trial. Many of these trials are gender-specific, while others are geared towards participants with a particular medical history—childhood food allergies, for example.

Once our team has screened your online profile and found that you are a good candidate for a trial study, the Celerion Study Participant Representative will reach out to you with an Informed Consent Form (ICF) that details the parameters of the study, what your participation will be, and the anticipated time commitment. Participants are free to withdraw from the trial at any time and are encouraged to review the trial specifics with their doctors, family, and friends.

Benefits of a Clinical Study

Medical breakthroughs are the result of thousands of hours of painstaking research, failure, more research, and finally, the clinical trials on real patients—the last step before FDA approval (in the US). Clinical studies rely on qualified candidates to test new investigational therapies and medications, and without these volunteers, many life-changing drugs would still be simply hope and theory. When you sign up to participate in a clinical trial with Celerion, you're not only giving hope to others who have the same condition, but we ensure all our participants are fairly compensated for their time.

Sign up Today with Celerion

Celerion offers a wide range of clinical trials at our labs in Lincoln and Phoenix. One of the advantages of a Celerion trial is that we compensate our participants based on the time and effort they put into the trial, so if you are a good candidate, this is a great way for college students to earn some extra income.

If you'd like to learn more about upcoming trials or would like a tour of our labs, please contact us to set up an appointment. 

Image Credit: DavideAngelini, Shutterstock