Correspondence

Data Bases of Clinical Trials

N Engl J Med 1999; 340:65-66January 7, 1999

Article

To the Editor:

In the past 15 years, the medical community has seen the publication of reports on large, randomized clinical trials that have had a substantial effect on the practice of medicine. The design, execution, and analysis of these trials is the province of many outstanding investigators, but many such trials are supported by private pharmaceutical houses that have a clear interest in the outcomes. Although the integrity of the investigators ensures that the results have been fairly presented, pharmaceutical support creates the appearance of undue influence by those with a vested interest.

One way to mitigate the appearance of a conflict of interest is to allow public medical scrutiny of the data bases of these trials. The completed data base should contain all the information necessary to analyze the results of a trial independently. When large clinical trials, supported in part or completely by private funding, influence medical practice and thereby affect the public, they should withstand public medical scrutiny.

J. Michael Albrich, M.D.
Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR 97201