Journal Editors (ICMJE) that clinical

trials be prospectively registered, before commencement,1 is an important step, but of equal or greater importance would be better regulation of trial data and their handling before publication. Typically, a pharmaceutical com-pany or its hired agent, such as a con-tract research organization, maintains all of the data collected during a trial. The analysis of the data and its statisti-cal evaluation are generally performed by the company’s statisticians. Even principal investigators are not usually privy to this information. I propose the creation of a third-party organization, independent of the clinical trial sponsor, to perform the vi-tal role of keeper of the trial database, as well as the data analysis according to the primary and secondary trial out-comes specified at the outset. Too ex-pensive, some might say. However, funds are already being paid by the sponsor to have these same tasks done by employees within the company or by a contract research organization. Oth-ers might argue that this requirement would represent undue hardship for a company that is making a huge invest-ment to develop its product and hope-fully take it to market. This hardship would be lessened if it was applied uni-formly to all major clinical trials. If the ultimate objective is to improve the lives of our patients, then the fidelity of clinical trial information is of para-mount importance. A clinical trial registry only provides transparency in terms of the existence of a trial. Third-party handling of trial data and their analysis will ensure trans-parent evaluation and reporting of the results. We need to enter an era wherein a high-quality trial is evaluated independent of those with a direct fi-nancial interest in its outcome