National Institute of Mental Health Violates Law on Posting Clinical Trial Results

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has violated a key U.S. transparency law aimed at curbing research waste and evidence distortion in medicine on numerous occasions, data compiled by STAT News shows.

In total, NIMH failed to post the results of 11 of 24 trials covered by the law onto the publicly managed trial registry Clinicaltrials.gov within the twelve month deadline stipulated by the law. Three of those clinical trials remain without results on the registry to this day.

For example, NIMH has yet to post the results for trial NCT00794625, in which persistently aggressive children with ADHD were given Valproate and Risperidone to discover whether this would reduce their “defiant, belligerent, and otherwise aggressive behaviour.” The study was completed nearly five years ago.

NIMH's failure to post the summary results of all its clinical trials wastes taxpayers' money, exposes patients to harm, and slows the development of new treatments and cures.

For more details, read the full story on the Mad in America blog.