Barriers towards the publication of academic drug trials: Follow-up of trials approved by the Danish Medicines Agency

TY - JOUR

T1 - Barriers towards the publication of academic drug trials

T2 - Follow-up of trials approved by the Danish Medicines Agency

AU - Berendt, Louise

AU - Petersen, Lene Grejs

AU - Bach, Karin Friis

AU - Poulsen, Henrik Enghusen

AU - Dalhoff, Kim

PY - 2017/5

Y1 - 2017/5

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To characterize and quantify barriers towards the publication of academic drug trials.STUDY DESIGN: We identified academic drug trials approved during a 3-year period (2004-2007) by the Danish Medicines Agency. We conducted a survey among the trial sponsors to describe the rates of initiation, completion, and publication, and the reasons for the failure to reach each of these milestones. Information on size and methodological characteristics of the trials was extracted from the EudraCT database, a prospective register of all approved clinical drug trials submitted to European medicines agencies since 2004.RESULTS: A total of 181 academic drug trials were eligible for inclusion, 139 of which participated in our survey (response rate: 77%). Follow-up time ranged from 5.1 to 7.9 years. Most trials were randomized controlled trials (73%, 95% CI 65-81%). Initiation and completion rates were 92% (95% CI: 88-97%) and 93% (95% CI: 89-97%) respectively. The publication rate of completed trials was 73% (95% CI: 62-79%). RCTs were published faster than non-RCTs (quartile time to publication 2.9 vs. 3.1 years, p = 0.0412).CONCLUSIONS: Many academic drug trials are left unpublished. Main barriers towards publication were related to the process from completion to publication. Hence, there is much to gain by facilitating the process from analysis to publication. Research institutions and funders should actively influence this process, e.g. by requiring the publication of trial results within a given time after completion.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To characterize and quantify barriers towards the publication of academic drug trials.STUDY DESIGN: We identified academic drug trials approved during a 3-year period (2004-2007) by the Danish Medicines Agency. We conducted a survey among the trial sponsors to describe the rates of initiation, completion, and publication, and the reasons for the failure to reach each of these milestones. Information on size and methodological characteristics of the trials was extracted from the EudraCT database, a prospective register of all approved clinical drug trials submitted to European medicines agencies since 2004.RESULTS: A total of 181 academic drug trials were eligible for inclusion, 139 of which participated in our survey (response rate: 77%). Follow-up time ranged from 5.1 to 7.9 years. Most trials were randomized controlled trials (73%, 95% CI 65-81%). Initiation and completion rates were 92% (95% CI: 88-97%) and 93% (95% CI: 89-97%) respectively. The publication rate of completed trials was 73% (95% CI: 62-79%). RCTs were published faster than non-RCTs (quartile time to publication 2.9 vs. 3.1 years, p = 0.0412).CONCLUSIONS: Many academic drug trials are left unpublished. Main barriers towards publication were related to the process from completion to publication. Hence, there is much to gain by facilitating the process from analysis to publication. Research institutions and funders should actively influence this process, e.g. by requiring the publication of trial results within a given time after completion.

KW - Databases, Factual

KW - Denmark

KW - Drug Evaluation

KW - Government Agencies

KW - Humans

KW - Publications

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0172581

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0172581

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28486523

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 12

JO - PloS one

JF - PloS one

IS - 5

M1 - e0172581

ER -