The NIH “E-Biomed” Proposal — A Potential Threat to the Evaluation and Orderly Dissemination of New Clinical Studies

Dr. Harold Varmus, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recently circulated for comment a bold and wide-ranging proposal for NIH sponsorship of a Web site for the publication of all new biomedical-research reports.^1,2 Called “E-biomed,” the proposed site would have a powerful search system allowing free and convenient access to research data from all biomedical fields, including clinical studies as well as basic scientific research. The NIH would provide financial, technical, and administrative assistance to initiate the program but would not be the owner or rule maker. Instead, policies would be established by a governing board representing . . .