WHO public consultation on clinical trials disclosure - BEUC response

Presently, only half of clinical trial results are published. Consequently, useful information on what was found in these trials can be kept forever from doctors and researchers, which in turn can lead to bad treatment decisions, missed opportunities for evidence-based medicine and trials being repeated. 

Making clinical trial data available is necessary to ensure competent authorities have complete and reliable information to carry out safety and cost/effectiveness analyses, avoid exposing patients to unnecessary risks and waste of public resources on ineffective medicines. 

Disclosure of trial data empowers patients, promotes a better quality of healthcare and contributes to a restoration of public confidence in regulators following recent scandals which have affected the medical sector.

Results of all trials – both past trials on medicines currently in use and future trials – should be disclosed by way of a publicly available register, within 12 months of the clinical trial’s completion.