Do you have some time to devote to the good of science and medical research? Would you like to learn more about your body, and maybe even obtain free medications and/or immunizations? What if you just want to make some quick cash? If any of these situations apply to you, then you may be an ideal candidate for clinical trials.

There are all kinds of clinical trails out there. The National Institutes of Health, probably one of the biggest agencies conducting clinical trials, explains them quite well here. In short, a clinical trial is conducted on an experimental drug or disease treatment usually to gauge the treatment’s efficacy and/or safety. The reason this is done is because there are various stages, or phases, that a potential drug or disease treatment must satisfy before FDA approval is granted.

Drugs are big business, especially in the USA. By the time a drug has undergone all the needed research studies, efficacy trials, small population testing, and final FDA approval, a billion dollars may have been spent. While this is one of the major reasons why drugs cost so much money to buy, on the flip side, this should also alert you to the really lucrative potential of the testing process. By getting in on the ground floor of the testing process, you stand to gain a nice chunk of those billion dollars for yourself.

Now, you may be a bit squeamish about giving your body tover o science. Such a hesitation is well understood- after all, who wants to eat strange drugs and go through all kinds of odd side effects? This is why I recommend that, before signing up for any clinical trial, you first familiarize yourself with the procedure and the potential consequences. For example, some studies involve the periodic sampling of your blood in order to test drug breakdown in a human body. This means that you could have your arm stuck with a needle 20 times (or more) over the course of 24 hours. Even if the drug itself is harmless, do you really want racks on your arm?

Before you get too scared, let me reassure you that many clinical trials are quite harmless, and may even be of benefit to you. Recently, I finished a trial in which I took an oral allergy medication for six months. Since I have some allergies, taking this oral medication may have actually helped me, assuming that I was taking the actual drug and not a placebo. Also, it was the trial itself which discovered that I had certain allergies. On top of that, I was compensated with free lunches, a $25 gift card for excellent logging, and over $650 for my participation. This trial was conducted by the University of Wisconsin.

I also participated in an NIH research study on brain activity during gambling. While lying in an MRI, I got the chance to actually gamble by placing bets on numbers. For my efforts, I was rewarded with this "gambling" money, in addition to the $1500 I made from the research study itself. Plus, I got to see my entire brain sliced up on DVD!

I’ve seen and been in a number of clinical and research trials, but the most lucrative thus far are those conducted by Covance. This company is huge, and most likely has a center near you. What Covance does is provide drug testing services for pharmaceutical companies, universities, and other institutions that may not have the time or the resources to conduct such testing. By the time a drug is offered to Covance for testing, it has probably passed Phase I (safety) and Phase II (efficacy) trials, and is now ready to be tested on much larger human populations over longer periods of time. Since not every company can recruit and retain 200-300 human volunteers, this is where Covance steps in and, for a fee, conducts Phase III clinical trials.

Payment from Covance is quite good. In fact, it is so good that some people make a living by enrolling in back-to-back Covance clinical trials. When I attempted to enroll in a study or two at Covance, I met several people who reported making a yearly gross of $60,000 or more by doing clinical trials. The drawback, though, was that these folks had arms with calloused veins.

Still, you can’t argue with the money that Covance pays. Here is an actual study that is being conducted by Covance:

Men and women aged 18 to 50.
Covance is looking for men and women to participate in a clinical research study involving an investigational medication.

To qualify for research study 8201-145 you must be:

Age 18 to 50
-Non-smoking
-Willing to participate in 1 stay of 5 days/ 4 nights, 3 stays of 4 days/3 nights and 5 outpatient visits
-Study begins July 22

All study-related exams are provided at no cost. Compensation is up to $4400 for time and participation

With a payout like that, is it any wonder that people actually compete for eligibility for such studies? When I attempted to participate in clinical trials at Covance, I was kicked out for minor physical "defects" simply because of too many volunteers. But, had I gotten in, I would’ve been $4K richer at least.

If you are interested in helping out medical research, and if you have some spare time on your hands, then clinical trials may be the right choice for you. Inquire with your local university or community college- several of the trials that I participated in were listed on flyers at the University of Wisconsin. Check the newspaper and the web for open trials, especially through the NIH. If all else fails, ask your doctor if he/she knows of any local clinical trials.