80% of data in Chinese clinical trials fabricated
01-Oct-16, Science Alert
A Chinese government investigation has revealed that more than 80 percent of the data used in clinical trials of new pharmaceutical drugs have been "fabricated".
%20Plavevski_Shutterstock_Science%20Alert.jpg "80pc of data in Chinese clinical trials fabricated (c) Plavevski Shutterstock Science Alert")
Image: Plavevski / Shutterstock / Science Alert
The report uncovered fraudulent behaviour at almost every level, and showed that some pharmaceutical companies had hidden or deleted records of potentially adverse side effects, and tampered with data that didn't meet their desired outcomes.
The investigation, led by the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), looked at data from 1,622 clinical trials for new pharmaceutical drugs currently awaiting approval. The applications in question were all for Western medicine, not traditional Chinese medicine.