News in brief - April 25, 2005

National clinical trials registry gains support - NIH stem cell chief announces retirement

National clinical trials registry gains support

The Assn. of American Medical Colleges recently announced its support of a single, national, federally sponsored clinical trials registry.

Jordan J. Cohen, MD, president of the AAMC, said, "It is only through a comprehensive national registry system that the needs of researchers, physicians, other health professionals and patients can be addressed reliably and consistently."

Dr. Cohen said the AAMC would like to see the federal government fund an effort under the auspices of the Secretary of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, with input from the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, academic and other private-sector experts, patients, doctors and other health professionals, and biopharmaceutical and other relevant industry experts.

In May, the AAMC advisory panel on research will look at proposals for clinical trials registries so it can make recommendations to the association.

NIH stem cell chief announces retirement

The chair of the National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Task Force, James F. Battey Jr., MD, PhD, announced that he would retire in September after 20 years at the NIH.

Dr. Battey told the Washington Post and Science magazine that he manages a family education trust fund for his father's seven grandchildren, and the NIH conflict-of-interest rules that go into effect this fall would force him to sell biomedical stocks. He said selling these family assets pose an "insurmountable problem," so the best course is to retire.