After a prolonged effort, the U.K. government is now tracking whether clinical trial sponsors are reporting results, the latest sign that transparency campaigns are forcing greater disclosure by universities and companies.
The move comes after a 2018 analysis found many trial sponsors — some of which were funded by the government — failed to report their findings. U.K. law requires all study results to be reported within one year. The disclosure prompted a key lawmaker to issue a blistering report criticizing the Health Research Authority for failing to enforce rules and impose penalties on wayward trial sponsors and investigators.
The tracking system covers all interventional trials involving U.K. patients, including studies of medicines and medical devices, as well international trials with study arms in the U.K. And when main findings are destined for publication in a journal, this should occur within 12 months of completing a study and published through a so-called open-access mechanism in a peer-reviewed journal.
About the Author Reprints
Create a display name to comment
This name will appear with your comment
