Relevant past studies are often missed for citation among the clinical trials as per a study published in the journal Med.
Clinical trials play a crucial role in the assessment of the safety and efficacy of medical interventions. However, only incomplete information is provided by sponsors to assess their ethical justification.
‘Several clinical trials especially in North America, fail to account for prior trials which could result in redundant or less impactful research or studies.’
The study team evaluated 101 randomly chosen clinical trials using the registry ClinicalTrials.gov. It was found that 30% of industry-sponsored trials and 20% of non-industry-funded trials among those at least one prior trial testing the same drug in the same disease, had neglected to cite related studies.
“Clinical trial protocols undercite easily accessible, relevant trials and do not document systematic searches for relevant clinical trials. Numerous studies suggest that some clinical trials are pursued despite their clinical hypotheses having been resolved prior to study launch. Failure to provide a complete and impartial account of prior and ongoing research in study protocols may enable clinical research that fails to inform clinical practice,” say the authors.
Source: Medindia
