These trials are conducted to help improve the lives and treatment of people with medical conditions like asthma.

They are a way of thoroughly testing whether new medicines are safe and effective before they are made widely available to the general population, or to work out the best way of using existing medicines.

Professional clinical trials are undertaken in controlled environments with close supervision. Each needs to be approved by a formal ethics committee before the trial starts.

Why take part?

Without volunteers willing to take part in clinical trials, many new and improved treatments for conditions such as asthma would never make it onto the market for the Australian population. Volunteers are invaluable to medical research and advancement.

Many volunteers are hoping to find a more effective treatment for their condition. Whether or not this happens for you, there are other benefits from being involved.

In most trials, the participants receive:

• Free high level health care during the trial
• Access to a range of testing procedures not available to the ‘regular' patient
• Education about their medical condition leading to improved personal management of their health
• Awareness of whether a particular treatment works for them or, just as importantly, whether it doesn't

Many participants comment that the greatest reward of volunteering is knowing that their efforts may help to make available a better treatment that improves health outcomes not only for themselves, but also for their friends, family and wider community.

Who can participate?

Each trial looks for something different in volunteers due to the varying nature of the medicines being studied, so you will need to check with the individual organisation conducting the research.

When you contact an organisation about a trial, even if you don't fit the particular criteria needed, you can usually register your details to be told about suitable studies in future.

Asthma trials seeking volunteers

Click here for information on trials seeking volunteers

More information

For more information, visit the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. Their Consumer Guide to Clinical Trials has detailed advice about clinical trials, including questions you should ask before agreeing to participate.