(PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES ILLUSTRATION: ISABELLA BLUMBERG)

AABB American Association of Blood Banks

AADA Abbreviated Antibiotic Drug Application (FDA) (used primarily for generics)

AAPS American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

ABPI Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

ACCP American College of Clinical Pharmacology

ACDM Association for Clinical Data Management (UK)

ACE angiotensin-converting enzyme

ACIL A national trade association representing independent, commercial scientific, and engineering firms

ACPU Association of Clinical Pharmacology Units

(PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES ILLUSTRATION: ISABELLA BLUMBERG)

ACRP Association of Clinical Research Professionals (formerly Associates in Clinical Pharmacology, ACP)

ACRPI Changed its name to ICR—Institute of Clinical Research (UK)

ACT Applied Clinical Trials magazine

ACTG AIDS Clinical Trials Group (NIAID)

ACTU AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (NIH)

ADaM Analysis Data Model (a CDISC standard)

ADE Adverse Drug Event; Adverse Drug Effect

ADME absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (used to describe pharmacokinetic processes)

ADR adverse drug reaction

AE adverse event

AEGIS ADROIT Electronically Generated Information Service, a subscription service that provides subscribing organizations with access to adverse drug reaction data from the Medicines Control Agency's ADROIT (Adverse Drug Reaction On-line Information Tracking) database

AERS Adverse Event Reporting System (FDA)

AFMR American Federation for Medical Research, formerly the American Federation for Clinical Research (AFCR)

AHA American Heart Association

AHCPR Agency for Health Care Policy Research (NIH)

AICRC Association of Independent Clinical Research Contractors (UK)

AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

ALCOA attributable, legible, contemporaneous, original, accurate (dimensions of data integrity)

am ante meridian, morning (12:00 midnight thru 11:59:59)

AMA American Medical Association

AMC antibody-mediated cytotoxicity

AmFAR American Foundation for AIDS Research

AMG Arzneimittelgesetz (German Drug Law)

AMWA American Medical Writers Association

ANDA Abbreviated New Drug Application (for a generic drug)

ANOVA analysis of variance (statistics)

ANSI American National Standards Institute