Uncovering the Hidden Half: The Importance of Publishing Clinical Trial Results

As a pharma professional, I am shocked to learn that around half of the clinical trials that have been conducted on the medicines we use today have never had their results published. This lack of transparency means that decision-makers like governments, regulators, doctors, and researchers are missing out on crucial information needed to make informed decisions.

An example of this is the heart drug Lorcinide, which was tested in clinical trials in the 1980s. The results of these trials showed that patients given Lorcinide were far more likely to die during the trial than those not given the drug. However, these results were not published for ten years, during which time doctors continued to prescribe Lorcinide to their patients, leading to an estimated 100,000 deaths.

This lack of transparency not only puts patients at risk, but also leads to governments and regulators making poor decisions, such as spending large amounts of money on drugs that are later found to be ineffective. Additionally, when clinical trial results are not shared, researchers and doctors are unable to build on existing knowledge, leading to the repetition of trials and wasted resources.

As healthcare professionals, it is our duty to advocate for transparency in clinical trials. We owe it to our patients and to society to ensure that the medicines we prescribe have been thoroughly tested and that the results of these tests are readily available.

#clinicaltrials #transparency #healthcare