Several of the world’s major medical research funders and developers have agreed on new standards requiring public registration of any clinical trials that they fund, co-fund, sponsor, or support. In addition, all results must be disclosed.
In a joint statement, the group* agreed to develop and implement policies within the next year that would require that all such trials be registered in a publicly available registry, such as the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. All results are to be disclosed within specified timeframes on the relevant registry and/or through scientific journal publication.
It is estimated that nearly half of all clinical trials conducted today go unreported, often because of negative results. Unreported trial results leave an incomplete and potentially misleading picture of the risks and benefits of vaccines, drugs and medical devices, and can lead to suboptimal or even harmful product use.
* Indian Council of Medical Research, the Norwegian Research Council, the UK Medical Research Council, Médecins Sans Frontières (along with its research arm, Epicentre), PATH, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Institut Pasteur, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust