By registering as a clinical trial volunteer you will help us in the development of new, safer and more effective medicines.

In order to develop a new medication and to make it available to patients it must be studied through the process of many research trials to prove its safety and efficacy. Some trials involve small groups of healthy volunteers and others involve patients with a disease for which the new medication is being developed. The GSK Medicines Research Unit is located within a controlled hospital environment so that detailed studies can be conducted under close observation.

The type of medicine and the study design will determine your suitability as a study volunteer. Before you decide whether to participate in a study it is important for you to know why the research is being done and what will be involved. During a screening visit prior to the study you will be informed about the specific study and will have the opportunity to discuss it with the study doctor in detail. If you agree to participate you will have to sign a consent form, which means that you agree to participate in the study. During this screening visit our study staff will take your medical history, perform a medical examination and will take some blood and urine samples for clinical laboratory Analysis.

If you meet all the inclusion criteria of the study you will be invited to take part in the clinical trial usually commencing 1-4 weeks later. Each trial is different in its design. Most of them involve 1-3 in-house periods of 2-4 days/nights in length, some out-patient visits and a post-study visit 7-10 days after the last study day. Some studies, however, can last up to 5 months and some may involve in-house stays of up to 10 days.

These studies require commitment of your time, dedication and strict compliance with the study protocol and do not provide you with any direct medical benefit. You will therefore receive a study participation payment to compensate you for your time and inconvenience. The amount is dependent on the complexity of the individual study and therefore is variable (usually between AUD 2,000-3,000).

Every study is conducted in compliance with international regulations (International Conference of Harmonisation of technical requirements-Good Clinical Practice), Australian regulations (Therapeutic Goods Administration, National Health and Medical Research Council) as well as company policies to ensure your well-being and safety.

Each study must be reviewed and approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee and is communicated to the TGA.

Throughout the study you will be supervised and looked after by the most experienced and qualified team of research physicians, research nurses and scientists to ensure your safety and well-being. All beds are equipped with state of the art cardiac monitoring systems and the Unit is linked to the hospital’s emergency team.

During your in-house period we will provide you with a home away from home: A vibrantly painted 16-bed ward with comfortable beds and a stunning view down to Coogee Beach. With any luck you may even spot some migrating whales. A dining room and comfortable lounge are provided where you can spend your time watching TV or DVDs, playing video, board or card games, reading, studying or working on your laptop. There is internet access at each bedside as well as in the volunteer internet café where you will be able to connect your laptop. We will provide you with all the meals since the meals are sometimes standardised and therefore you should not bring any food or drinks with you.

If you like to participate in a clinical trial at the GSK Medicines Research Unit you can contact us on 1800 GSK GSK (1800 475 475) or at volunteers.4.trials@gsk.com.