Why Transparency And Data Sharing In Clinical Trials Matters

We’re in the middle of a major flu epidemic, and the CDC has recommended treatment with an antiviral (e.g., Tamiflu or Relenza) for high-risk people. Yet there is considerable controversy over whether Tamiflu even works and, despite promises, Roche staunchly refused to release all their data for others to verify for years. The Cochrane Collaborative⁠ was finally able to review data and, in 2014, reported that Tamiflu did not reduce the number of hospitalizations, and they could not tell whether it reduced deaths. While it did reduce symptoms marginally (by less than one day), a large number of people who take it develop vomiting, headaches, or psychiatric symptoms.