Publication bias in clinical research sponsored by pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

An increasing number of clinical trials are funded by the pharmaceutical industry, and the industry as strong commercial interests in research publications that present their products positively and enhance their sales. As main sponsor of clinical trials, the pharmaceutical industry has gained unprecedented control over the evaluation of its own products and communication of research results. There is mounting evidence that industry-sponsored trials are biased in favor of the sponsor`s products. Various potential ways have been described in which pharmaceutical concerns exert influence on the outcome of a study and its communication, however, publication bias proved to be a major cause for bias in industry-funded trials. Pharmaceutical industry and its sponsored investigators selectively report favorable outcomes, fail to publish whole studies with unfavorable results, or publish studies with favorable results multiple times. Such manipulation of research communication might greatly jeopardize the scientific basis for good clinical practice. This article explores the aspects of clinical trial performance that can be affected by pharmaceutical company sponsorship, particularly emphasizing on results dissemination and publication. It is aimed at describing the relationship between pharmaceutical industry sponsorship and bias in research publication. By revealing the scope of the problem and its essence - it attempts to sensitize the scientific, professional and publishing societies and provoke