In 2015, The Institute of Medicine published a book called “Sharing Clinical Trial Data; Maximizing Benefits, Minimizing Risk”, which has recently been reviewed by Richard Lehman on a BioMed Central blog.

Overall, Richard Lehman described the book as a welcome addition to a rapidly evolving and important field, although he does describe some limitations. He acknowledged that, although the principle of data sharing is revered by many, in practice there is still some hesitation in its implementation. This could be due to anxiety about the protection of intellectual property or perhaps more cynically about the protection of commercial or academic interests.

Richard Lehman felt that the guidance provided in the book on data sharing time scales should be regarded as positive and even suggested that “The Clinical Trial Life Cycle: When to Share Data” figure “should hang on the wall of every principal investigator”.

Richard Lehman concluded that the book was an excellent source of information and provided a benchmark from which future progress can be determined.

Further information about the book, including an additional review, can be found on Amazon.