Call for open access to all clinical trial data | InPharm

"There should be free access to all clinical trials in order to end selective reporting, according to a leading not-for-profit research network. The Cochrane Collaboration says the lack of laws forcing pharma-based researchers to publish findings from the clinical trials leads to “selective reporting” on investigational drug studies by companies. This sees the industry only publish positive data for its drugs and leave out negative results for fear of damaging a drug’s potential. But the Cochrane Collaboration, which publishes widely-respected data reviews and meta-analyses of available clinical trials, says this practice needs to end as it could be harming patients. Cochrane urges changes in policy and law to make it mandatory for researchers to publish all data after a 12-month period, and it calls for punitive measures to be taken against those who fail to comply...."