OVERHAUL CLINICAL TRIALS, SAYS NIH
Procedures for clinical trials must be revised to protect the public and restore public faith in medicine, says the director of the US National Institutes of Health, Elias Zerhouni. He has released an eight-point plan to improve trials and reduce the prospect of ignoring adverse results.
A key recommendation is to give equal weight to safety and efficacy. The NIH feels that a focus on efficacy was one of the problems that ultimately led to the 2004 withdrawal of Merck’s pain killer Vioxx. It has also called for researchers to treat prior observations with greater scepticism, pointing to flaws in studies of hormone replacement therapy, which appears to be associated with a higher risk of circulatory disease. Statistics can also mislead both practitioners and patients, says the NIH, particularly when drug efficacy is discussed in terms of relative risk without reference to the absolute risk.
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
After 49 years, SCOTUS strikes down Roe v Wade, abolishing a constitutional right to abortion
The US Supreme Court has struck down two of the most famous decisions in American history, Roe v. Wade and...
Fallen stem cell hero convicted in Swedish court
Once hailed as a stem cell technology pioneer, Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini has been convicted of causing bodily harm and...
Hollywood actress explains why she chose surrogacy: ‘I was terrified’
Hollywood starlet Jamie Chung, 39, surprised her fans last year when she and her husband announced the birth of twins....
First legal assisted suicide in Italy
Italy’s parliament is still debating the details of legal assisted suicide. However, last Thursday the first Italian to take advantage...
Re-examining autonomy
The buzzword cutting through the noisy controversy over the US Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade is “reproductive autonomy”....
World swimming authority takes conservative stand on gender inclusion
Swimming's world governing body, FINA, has backed a new policy on gender inclusion which will stop most trans women swimmers...