About Tether
One study gave my grandfather more time.
So I built the thing I wish my family had. A list of the studies enrolling near you, written in words you can read.
2
Cities covered
176
Conditions listed
$0
Cost to you
0
Referral fees
From the founder
Hi. I am Ben Epting.
I work as a research coordinator at a clinical trial site in Cleveland, Ohio. I am in studies every day. I have watched a study give someone years nobody expected. I have also watched people miss a study they would have qualified for, because no one ever told them it was there.
My family is from Columbia, South Carolina. When my grandfather was told he had blood cancer that could not be cured, we started looking everywhere for something that might help. We found a study at Atrium Health in Charlotte, about an hour and a half north of home.
I had moved to Charlotte for work a few years before. That turned out to be a gift. I got to be there almost every week when he drove up for his visits. The study gave us more time together than anyone thought we would get.
Most families never get that. Not because the studies are not there. Because nobody points to them.
So I built Tether. For Columbia, for Charlotte, and for the towns around them. Rock Hill, Gastonia, Monroe, Lexington. Places where, when something goes wrong, you should not have to work out ClinicalTrials.gov by yourself.
One study gave my grandfather years we were not supposed to get. I could not stop thinking about the families who never hear the word study at all.
Ben Epting, Founder
More time. More moments. That is what the study gave us.
GCP certified research coordinator, Cleveland, Ohio.
What we do
One list instead of a dozen websites.
Every study in one place
Each research site keeps its own list on its own website. We put the studies enrolling in Columbia and Charlotte together in one place.
Written so you can read it
Every condition gets a plain words page. No jargon copied out of a protocol, and no medical degree needed.
Real studies only
We list studies run under FDA rules at real research sites. Nothing else goes on the list.
Our promise
We work for you, not for the clinics.
Free for you. Always.
No clinic pays us for sending people. We have no paid partners and we never charge you.
Your information stays with us.
We do not pass your details to any clinic. We email you the study, the site name, and who to ask for. You decide whether to call. We never sell your data.
We keep looking.
If nothing fits today we hold your information, with your permission, and write to you when something opens.
You are never starting over.
How it works
Four steps, and you can stop at any of them.
Step one
Browse
Look through the studies open in Columbia or Charlotte. Sort by your condition.
Step two
Answer questions
A short set of questions about your health. It takes about five minutes.
Step three
Hear back
I read your answers and email you the studies that fit. Usually within two days.
Step four
You call
We send you the site name, the address, and who to ask for. You call when you are ready.
Common questions
What people ask us most.
Is Tether free?
Yes, always. We never charge you, and no research site pays us for sending people.
Who sees my information?
Only us. We do not sell it and we do not hand it to a clinic. We email you the studies that fit and who to call, and you reach out yourself when you are ready.
What if nothing fits me right now?
With your permission we keep your information and write to you when a new study opens that matches. You can ask us to delete it any time. We only write when there is a real fit.
Will I get paid?
It depends on the study. Many pay you for your time and your travel. Each study page says what that one offers.
Can I quit after I start?
Yes. You can leave a study at any time, for any reason. That is your legal right and nobody can hold it against you.
Are you a clinic?
No. We do not run studies, treat people, or give medical advice. We point you to the research sites where the studies actually happen.
Find a study that fits you.
One short form. We write back either way.