Can the FDA Improve Oversight of Foreign Clinical Trials: Closing the Information Gap and Moving Towards a Globalized Regulatory Scheme

Currently, pharmaceutical companies\u27 utilization of foreign clinical trial data is a ubiquitous and indispensable aspect of gaining approval to market drugs in the United States. Cost benefits, a larger pool of ready volunteer subjects, and greater efficiency in clinical testing are some of the reasons for conducting clinical trials overseas. Despite these advantages, lack of proper oversight may have serious public health implications regarding the integrity of clinical research, ethical treatment of human subjects, and drug safety. Due to the expansive global nature of foreign clinical trials, there are concerns with the FDA\u27s ability to monitor and regulate these trials. This article examines the FDA\u27s oversight of foreign clinical trials and the agency\u27s limitations regulating these trials. In addition to looking at steps the FDA is taking to address these limitations, the article examines other potential regulatory and cooperative actions that can be taken to effectively monitor foreign clinical trials and to ensure data integrity and patient safety