Following a commitment to more transparency announced last year, Boehringer Ingelheim has given details about plans to make clinical study data and related documents dating back to 1998 more widely accessible on approved products or terminated programmes.
The information can be accessed at the website below where researchers will be granted access via “a secure analysis environment” after approval of his/her study proposal by an independent external review panel and based on a data-sharing agreement. Researchers will have to agree not to attempt to identify participants or misuse the data, eg for commercial interests, and be transparent regarding analysis and disclosure of results.
In addition, Boehringer has confirmed its commitment to publish the scientific results from all sponsored trials in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific meetings, “regardless of study outcome for all types of clinical studies”. A dedicated team is being formed to answer requests.
Charles de Wet, medical director for Boehringer in the UK and Ireland, said the company has “always had a strong commitment to transparent research-driven innovations in medicine. The free exchange of the scientific information that underpins this is vital to safeguard this process”.
He added that “by going beyond our existing obligations and making our data more widely available we can help to build confidence in our company and the wider pharmaceutical industry. I feel strongly that this is the correct approach”.
