Devex: Opinion: Where’s the data? Missing trial results undermine pandemic preparedness
Till Bruckner, founder of TranspariMED

“In the fight to control global pandemics, public health agencies and governments face a monumental challenge: The results of around half of all clinical trials are not public, leaving huge gaps in medical knowledge. The invisibility of medical research results may make it difficult, if not impossible, to tell which drugs and vaccines work. … This missing data can cost missed opportunities, misdirected programs, or even billions of dollars on the wrong drug. … A handful of countries have passed transparency laws, but they only cover a minority of trials and have not been properly enforced. … In recent years, the U.N. has tried to rewrite the rules of the game to improve pandemic preparedness. … [A] U.N. panel called on governments worldwide to pass legislation requiring all clinical trial results to be fully reported. And in May this year, the WHO managed to convince over a dozen major public and philanthropic research funders to commit to ensuring that all clinical trials they fund report their results within 12 months at most. Transparency advocates have welcomed these initiatives…” (11/14).