ON THE NET
This site contains useful information on clinical trials.

CenterWatch

Begun in 1994 as an independent information services company focused on clinical trials and new drug approvals, Boston-based CenterWatch is now a division of Thomson Publishing, publisher of the authoritative Physician's Desk Reference.

Though CenterWatch puts out several newsletters, its CenterWatch.com Web site has quickly become a leading source of information on ongoing clinical trials, drawing almost a million visitors each month.

"The majority of the people who use the site are patients and their advocates, but it's a great way for ophthalmologists to find clinical trials for individual patients who may benefit from participating in a specific trial," says Kenneth Getz,
president and CEO of CenterWatch. "Numerous multisite trials are now conducted through community-based medical practices, enabling many patients to enroll in trials in their local areas."

CenterWatch has also published a guidebook called Informed Consent that will enable you to clearly explain the clinical trials process to your patients. Details about this publication are available on the CenterWatch.com Web site.

In addition to listing the complete details of more than 10,000 ongoing clinical trials, including the purpose of each trial and the names of key investigators, CenterWatch.com also reports on the progress of these studies and keeps tabs on new drug approvals.

"The site gives ophthalmologists a convenient way to keep track of the latest approved drugs and how they may differ from previously approved therapies," says Getz. "Information on clinical results and drug approvals is updated several times a week."

If you've been looking for a simple way to stay current on ophthalmic clinical trials and progress on new drugs, this site is the answer.

Visit www.CenterWatch.com

If you've discovered a Web site or service that's been useful to you in practice or at home, we'd like to know about it. E-mail Jerry Helzner at helznergi@boucher1.com  or call him at (215) 643-8013.