Deceptive Practices in Drugs Research Could Become Harder

November 24, 2014

(Scientific American) – Hiding negative results and harmful side effects that occur in clinical trials would become harder in the United States under regulations proposed on November 19 by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One proposal would require companies seeking the FDA’s approval of a new drug or therapy to post all clinical-trial results to the government website ClinicalTrials.gov, even if the treatment being tested is never approved; current law mandates this only for drugs that are approved. Companies and researchers that do not comply with the deadlines set out in the proposal could face fines of $10,000 per day.