Friday 15 February 2013
The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign has signed the AllTrials petition
The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign has signed a petition being orchestrated by a group of organisations including the British Medical Journal and Sense about Science. The petition - called Alltrials - is calling for all clinical trials to be registered and the results published, whether positive or negative.
The design of clinical trials relies on using previous results to improve the study design. Publication of all clinical trials - whether the results are positive or negative - should be treated with equal importance since these could all have the potential to improve trial design, avoid duplication and increase transparency.
Currently, the organisers of clinical trials do not have to release all the trial results they have about a potential drug. If all the s much information as possible about potential treatments was released, it could help clinicians and people affected by neuromuscular conditions understand potential side effects and let them make informed choices about their treatment options.
Our full response to the petition said:
The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is pleased to support the AllTrials petition calling for all clinical trials to be registered and results to be published.
As a medical research charity, our supporters rightly have an expectation that the funds they raise will be used to move potential new treatments into clinical trials and the clinic as quickly and efficiently as possible. Encouraging groups performing clinical trials to publish the results could speed up this process and give our families faster access to potential new treatments.
We are aware that scientific journals focus on publishing positive results and companies may have various reasons for not publishing all clinical trial results. However, since a key part of clinical studies and trials is using previous results to improve study design, we believe all clinical trials - whether the results are positive or negative - should be treated with equal importance. The publication of all clinical trial results could improve trial design, avoid duplication and increase transparency.
Links and further information
You can find out more about the petition and what it hopes to achieve at the AllTrials website here.
To find a clinical trial, visit our clinical trials database
For more information, check our clinical trials FAQ
It is only through your contributions that we can continue to fund the vital work that takes us closer to finding treatments and cures for muscle disease. Donate now and help change the lives of thousands of people living with muscle disease.
