“If action is not taken urgently, information about what was done in thousands of clinical trials and what was found out about medicines we use every day could be lost forever.”

For 6 years now, AllTrials has been campaigning to ensure that all clinical trials, new and old, are registered and the full methods and summary results published. Over 700 organisations have joined the campaign and more than 94,000 people have signed AllTrials’ petition to show their support.

A recent article by Síle Lane (of Sense about Science, part of the AllTrials initiative) for the Times Higher Education magazine highlighted a new project being undertaken by AllTrials, working with the UK Parliament Science and Technology Committee. This committee of members of the UK parliament’s House of Commons will monitor clinical trial reporting rates of UK universities over the next six months. In the case of institutions that fail to adequately report on trials during this period, the vice chancellors of these institutions will be called before the committee for a public explanation. As Lane’s article states, “Ignorance is no excuse – universities must report clinical trials.”

AllTrials seeks to support the select committee by analysing and tracking clinical trial reporting in the UK, by academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies, over the next 6 months and providing these data to the committee. They hope that the project could lead to improved reporting rates and act as a blueprint for other countries to adopt.  AllTrials is calling for support to fund the project.

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Summary by Sarah Stutfield PhD from Aspire Scientific

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