COMMUNITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE OF NEW ENGLAND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

How is CRI different from other AIDS organizations?
What types of research does CRI do?
Why are clinical research trials so important?
Who participates in clinical research studies?
Who does the clinical research?
What are some of CRI’s accomplishments?
Who pays for clinical research trials?

How is CRI different from other AIDS organizations?

CRI is the only independent, nonprofit community-based organization in New England that specializes exclusively in HIV/AIDS treatment research. In addition to our clinical trials, which have already led to the FDA approval of nearly all HIV/AIDS drugs available, CRI administers the Massachusetts HIV Drug Assistance Program and Community Health Insurance Initiative programs (HDAP/CHII). These programs provide access to medications and health insurance coverage to eligible Massachusetts residents with HIV.

What types of research does CRI do?

CRI conducts HIV/AIDS clinical research trials at our Boston and Springfield, MA sites. These carefully planned studies are designed to answer specific questions about the safety and effectiveness of new drugs and treatments. Clinical trials may study new medications to treat HIV/AIDS or investigate FDA-approved medications in novel ways, such as new combinations or regimens. CRI’s research can also provide information on side effects, dosing issues, sequencing of drugs and questions like when to switch drugs. These studies may also examine how to help individuals manage their medications and adhere to lifesaving treatments. Click here to view our current clinical trials.

Why are clinical research trials so important?

Clinical research trials are the fastest and most effective way of finding what strategies work best to help patients live more productive, comfortable and healthy lives. Clinical research trials also offer participants opportunities to gain access to new, sometimes life-saving, treatments before they would otherwise be available. The health of patients in clinical trials is closely tracked by HIV expert physicians and study nurses.

Who participates in clinical research studies?

A major goal of clinical research trials is to study a drug or treatment in order to predict how it will affect the larger group of people who will be taking the drug(s) once approved. Because treatments may work differently in different groups of people, it is important to ensure that the study population mirrors, as much as possible, the diverse range of people who will eventually be taking the new drug. Furthermore, historically some groups, such as women, people of color, and people for whom English is not their first language, have not always been included in clinical research. For all these reasons, CRI seeks to ensure diverse clinical trial enrollment to present the most realistic study populations of people with HIV.

Who does the clinical research?

Internationally renowned HIV/AIDS investigator Calvin Cohen, MD, MSc, is CRI’s Director of Research. In addition, Dr. Cohen is Research Director of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School in Boston and a staff physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The recipient of several awards for research excellence, Dr. Cohen has authored and co-authored many articles on HIV/AIDS and related topics. His articles are published in such journals as Annals of Internal Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet.

Dr. Cohen’s experienced physician research team includes Clinical Investigators Harry Schrager, MD and Hannah Olivet, MD. Through a network of collaborating sites, leading clinicians and researchers from around the country participate in CRI investigator initiated clinical trials. CRI’s team of dedicated clinical nursing specialists committed to personal, community-based patient care is led by Julia Green, BSN, ACRN.

What are some of CRI’s accomplishments?

CRI has produced critical HIV/AIDS clinical research and drug testing data that have contributed to the FDA approval of nearly all of the currently available HIV treatments. Through its continued outreach efforts, CRI provides the latest critical treatment information to many people living with HIV/AIDS including women, people of color and others who have been traditionally underserved. Finally, the CRI-managed Massachusetts HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP) and the Comprehensive Health Insurance Initiative (CHII) programs provide over 5,000 of Massachusetts’ most needy individuals access to needed medications and health insurance coverage.

Who pays for clinical research trials?

Drug companies pay some of the costs of running some clinical research trials. CRI also designs and conducts its own HIV/AIDS clinical trials for which the organization raises its own funds from foundations and private donors. Often these CRI investigator-initiated clinical research trials are designed to specifically answer questions in response to CRI’s own patients' needs – with potential benefits to other HIV-positive people around the world – and are not otherwise being answered in other studies. For example, CRI’s innovative investigator-initiated study of short cycle treatment interruptions, also known as FOTO (Five Days On, Two Days Off), explores patients’ ability to maintain viral suppression while taking short, weekend-long breaks from their medications.

CRI is committed to including individuals from underserved populations and securing the funding necessary to educate, recruit and enroll a diverse group of participants. This work is not usually reimbursed by private industry, despite CRI’s continued advocacy of its importance.

CRI maintains strong financial stability and has diversified its funding streams since its founding in 1989. CRI remains committed to collaborative efforts and new strategic alliances to continuously improve its services and secure funding.