SPECIAL COMMUNICATION Issues in the Registration of Clinical Trials

HIGH-PROFILE DISCLOSURES OF“hidden ” data from clinicaltrials have led the public torealize what some research-ers have known for a long time: ethi-cal and scientific problems arise when trial results are either delayed or not completely revealed to the public or other researchers.1-6 Ethical problems arise if volunteers consent to a trial with the understanding that the study will informmedical knowledge and the re-sults are then not made publicly avail-able.3 Future volunteers are at risk for being misled and harmed when their consent and the trial design are not fully informed by prior research. Institu-tional reviewboard (IRB)members can