The US Institute of Medicine (IoM) has recently released a report supporting the movement for full transparency in clinical trial information saying, “releasing information is in the public interest and maximizes the contributions made by clinical trial participants to scientific knowledge that benefits future patients and society as a whole.” IoM added that making data public would enable independent investigators to conduct more in-depth analyses and new research.
In the report, the Institute provided several recommendations for the timeline in which data should be released to the public. Some of these recommendations include releasing summary-level trial results and adverse events within one year of the study, sharing all trial data within six months of publication, and allowing up to 18 months for drug companies to analyze data before releasing it to the public.
According to IoM, the next step in the transparency process is to “set clear expectations and foster a data sharing culture” that is agreeable among stakeholders.
For more information, click here to read Fiona Barry’s article on Outsourcing-Pharma.com.