WHO plans global clinical trials registry

The international organization hopes to build a comprehensive database in order to prevent the loss of unpublished results.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. July 26, 2004.

The World Health Organization will be unveiling a global trial registry initiative at its November ministerial meeting on health research in Mexico City, according to statements by organization officials.

"There has been internal work on this issue at WHO for some years to streamline findings information about ongoing unpublished trials," said Metin Gulmezoglu, MD, medical officer at WHO's special program for research in human reproduction.

Several organizations have recently come out in favor of trial registries in the wake of recent controversies about children and the use of antidepressants. Specifically, allegations have emerged that data regarding these drugs' potential risks for young patients may have been concealed.

In June, the American Medical Association urged the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services to create a national registry.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors is also considering a similar proposal.

But while these American groups have endorsed the creation of a national registry -- one that would be easy to use and include significantly more information than the more than 300 smaller ones in existence -- the WHO would like to take the idea one step further. Its proposal is to set up a global clinical trial registry.