Built on Relationships.
Backed by Results.

Formerly Central Kentucky Research Associates

AMR Lexington was originally founded in 1991 as Central Kentucky Research Associates (CKRA) by Deborah Dyer, RN, BSN, and the late Jacqueline Smith, RN, BSN.  CKRA was Kentucky’s first independent clinical drug research facility and one of only a few such facilities in the nation that was owned and operated by women who were not physicians.  In 1994, CKRA was asked to join the prestigious Alliance for Multispecialty Research (AMR); an elite network of clinical research sites whose membership is by invitation only and the culmination of a rigorous peer review and acceptance process.

In 2017, 15 AMR centers merged their businesses to form a single company. AMR now includes 27 locations across the continental United States, 126 investigators, and access to databases of over 657,344 patients. As one company, AMR now offers improved efficiencies with the same exceptional quality and industry professionals you trust.

Our Facilities Include

Dedicated research exam rooms
On-site lab and processing
Inpatient and outpatient
ECG machines, X-ray, and DEXA scanning
double-locked drug storage
Climate-controlled archival
-20° and -70° refrigeration and dry ice
24hr ABPM equipment
emergency EQUIPPED with back-up power
Private areas for monitors
Spirometry and Infusion pumps
Ambient and refrigerated centrifuges

AMR Offers

  • Investigators who are dedicated community leaders experienced in clinical research
  • Patient databases with more than 30,000 adult, geriatric, and pediatric records
  • Full-time dedicated Research Coordinators (65% ACRP certified)
  • In-house quality assurance program
  • Dedicated regulatory and patient enrollment staff
  • Bilingual coordinating staff and physicians
  • Historically meets or exceeds enrolling commitments
  • Ability to utilize Central IRB
  • Commitment to only accepting studies appropriate for site patient population and staff expertise
  • Ability to pre-identify study patients, majority coming from physician’s practice
  • HIPAA compliant and IAATA Certified

Our Mission

To conduct high quality, ethical clinical research with patient welfare at the forefront of all we do. Our efforts drive development of medical cures and treatments of tomorrow, while fostering personal growth for team members and positively impacting our communities.

Our Vision & Values

To become the largest, most respected, innovative and highest quality clinical research company dedicated to improving health – worldwide.

Excellence

Strive for excellence and consistency in every type of research we do.

Innovation

Find innovative and ground-breaking solutions through collaboration.

Respect

Treat everyone – subjects, sponsors and associates – with respect.

Community

Base decisions and growth on striving to build a better community.

Ethics

Make the right and honorable decision even if it is the hard or costly one.

Our Clinical Trial Experience

AMR is committed to excellence in producing the highest quality data while meeting ethical and professional standards of the pharmaceutical industry. Investigators are board-certified in their own therapeutic specialties, whose colleagues and patients rely on their medical expertise. Our investigators are affiliated with major physician group practices providing them with access to patient populations that might be candidates for research studies. As part of their continuing medical education, they regularly participate in local and national symposia and conferences.

Acute Care
Allergy/Immunology
Cardiovascular Disease
Central Nervous System
Dermatology
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
Geriatrics
Immunology
Infectious Disease
Men’s Health
Musculoskeletal
Neurology
Ophthalmology
Pain Management
Pediatrics
Podiatry
Pulmonology
Urology
Vaccines
Virology
Women’s Health

10 Myths

Here are some misconceptions you may have about participating in clinical trials.

1

You must quit other medications you may already be taking while participating.

This may be true, depending on the clinical trial. Every trial has individual criteria for its participants, and medication history is definitely a factor that researchers consider.

2

Participating in a clinical trial will cost you a great deal of your own money.
This is false. Travel to and from the appointment may not be covered, but the trials usually are. Typically clinical trials don’t cost anything for the patient because they are federally or privately funded. Additional research costs for things like blood tests and scans are often covered by the trial sponsor.

3

Once you start a clinical trial, there's no turning back. You will have to finish it.
This is false. Participants can drop out of clinical trials if they choose to. Follow-up visits are necessary to ensure the health of the patients, but not finishing a clinical trial is absolutely allowed.

4

You can only participate in a clinical trial if you live near a major hospital.
This is false. There are clinical trials held out of smaller medical offices, although it’s not as common. Some trials assist in arranging transportation and even accommodations in hotels.

5

If you’re part of the placebo group, you won't get the same care as the treatment group.
This is false. Whether participants are on a placebo or the treatment, they will be receiving the same level of attention from the trial staff. Research coordinators and trial staff often don’t even know which patients are receiving a placebo in order to ensure unbiased results.

6

You don’t have to go to regular doctor visits if you’re participating in a clinical trial.
This is false. Clinical trials can’t replace appointments with your regular doctor. You’ll still need standard prescriptions, surveillance tests, and other procedures as you’re going through the clinical trial. You’ll also need to keep your regular doctor informed about your participation in the study.

7

Clinical trials take a huge commitment and will go on for months and months.
This is sometimes true. Some trials are only one to three months in duration. Others can be six to twelve months or longer.

8

You can’t participate in a clinical trial if you’re in remission at the time.
This depends on the study. Although many clinical trials are for patients with moderate to severe disease, not all studies are.

9

There is no information available to participants on the earlier results of the study.
This is false. Information from earlier completed clinical trials should be accessible for patients of the current trial to review.

10

Participants can't continue to use the study’s drug or therapy after the trial ends.
This is sometimes true, depending on the sponsor of the study. Some allow participants to continue the treatment in an open-label extension study, while others may have to wait for approval from the FDA.

All facts and information courtesy of Buzzfeed and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

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A wide-range of Therapeutic Areas.

Help others through clinical research.

Research studies may test new drugs, medical devices, medical interventions or investigate vaccinations.