Pfizer Peels Back The Curtain On Clinical Trial Data

In response to the growing debate over disclosure of clinical trial data, Pfizer has announced an updated policy and web site that will publish large amounts of information and offer a procedure for independent researchers to obtain study data for analysis. And the drugmaker boasts that its effort exceeds the voluntary aims recently articulated by industry trade groups in the US and Europe. “Pfizer’s expanded policy, which you can read here, is part of a larger and evolving effort by those who create and use clinical data to arrive at a transparent, harmonized process to expand access in ways that protect patient privacy, respect the regulatory process and maintain incentives to conduct new research,” says Freda Lewis-Hall, a Pfizer executive vice president and chief medical officer, in a statement. The move, which met with some criticism (see below), comes amid increasing turmoil over clinical trial data transparency.  A growing chorus of researchers, regulators and patient advocates has been pressuring drugmakers to release study data in the wake of scandals involving different medicines. The push includes an online petition created by the AllTrials campaign. At issue is the ability to independently verify results and, consequently, improve patient treatment that can lead to improved health and lower costs. This sentiment has picked up steam in the wake of the Vioxx and Avandia scandals, as well as product-liability litigation that revealed trial data for some drugs ...
Source: Pharmalot - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs