Selective Publication of Positive Drug Trials

Studies with positive results were more likely to be published than those with negative results.

If researchers and drug companies fail to publish drug trials that produce negative results, clinicians can overestimate drug efficacy. To determine whether antidepressant trials are published selectively depending on their results, researchers examined data on 12 antidepressants that were approved by the FDA between 1987 and 2004. Sources of information included all available data from the FDA (obtained in part through the Freedom of Information Act) and published journal articles.

A total of 74 FDA-registered studies were identified. Of 38 with results that were deemed positive by the FDA, 37 were published. In contrast, of 36 deemed to have negative or questionable results by the FDA, only 14 were published; in 11 of these articles, the a…

Reviewing Author

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose