The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee is reviewing the performance of all universities on fulfilling their legal obligations to report clinical trials data.
Campaign group AllTrials will then use online TrialsTracker tools developed by Dr Ben Goldacre and the EBMDataLab in the University of Oxford to monitor progress of those failing to report their trials data, reporting back to Committee in six months’ time.
The Committee said it will hold an evidence session in the summer of 2019 to question those who don’t improve their performance, after claiming that ‘failing to publish data from clinical trials presents risk to human health’.
Síle Lane, head of international campaigns and policy at Sense about Science and AllTrials campaign co-founder, commented: “When results from clinical trials aren’t reported, it means doctors can’t be sure they have all the information they need to make good decisions about medicines for their patients. It is also a betrayal of the thousands of people who have volunteered to take part in clinical trials when what was found out in the trial is never shared with doctors and researchers.”
The plan comes after AllTrials found that 46% of EU trials have not reported results according to the EU’s reporting rules, and only 44% of the world’s largest charity and government bodies that fund clinical trials require researchers to report clinical trial results.
