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Comparing the Clinical Trial Characteristics of Industry-Funded Trials and Non Industry-Funded Trials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2024

Emily Hughes
Affiliation:
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Tamara Van Bakel
Affiliation:
LUNENFELD-TANENBAUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE, SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Ashley Raudanskis
Affiliation:
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Prachi Ray
Affiliation:
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Benazir Hodzic-Santor
Affiliation:
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Ushma Purohit
Affiliation:
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Chana A. Sacks
Affiliation:
DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE AND MONGAN INSTITUTE, MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, BOSTON, USA
Michael Fralick
Affiliation:
SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, DIVISION OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA LUNENFELD-TANENBAUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE, SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

Abstract

We compared study characteristics of randomized controlled trials funded by industry (N=697) to those not funded by industry (N=835). RCTs published in high-impact journals are more likely to be blinded, more likely to include a placebo, and more likely to post trial results on ClinicalTrials.gov. Our findings emphasize the importance of evaluating the quality of an RCT based on its methodological rigor, not its funder type.

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Type
Independent Articles
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics

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