Project Number: SPB N°13
Working Group
Professor Jean-Pierre Boissel, Faculté RTH Laennec, Lyon - France
Dr. Iain Chalmers, UK Cochrane Centre, Oxford - UK
Professor Marcus D. Flather, Royal Brompton Hosp., London – UK
Dr. Maria-Grazia Franzosi, Istituto Mario Negri, Milano, Italy
Professor Norbert Victor, Universitätklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract
Controlled clinical trials are essentials to assess the benefits of interventions designed to improve health care. Many controlled trials are designed and run by the pharmaceutical industry, and mechanisms and organisations exist to foster and regulate these. Important questions however, which concern effects of interventions intended to improve health, may be of no interest to the commercial sector but are of great importance for public health. This is why the Medical Research Councils in Europe have to take the responsibility to support research intended to lead to improvements in Health.
In this science policy briefing ESF-MED (formerly EMRC) made recommendation for:
- Coordination of public funding for European clinical trials;
- Harmonisation of clinical trials administrative constraints;
- Appropriate implementation of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines in the context of non-commercial clinical trials
- Promoting preparation and maintenance of systematic reviews if existing controlled trials
- Registration of planned, recruiting and unreported controlled trials.
and presented a survey of clinical trials in Europe funded by national public agencies and/or charities.
Following these recommendations, ESF membership organisations embarked into a EUROCORES programme on “Pan-European Clinical Trials” (ECT).
Status
The Science Policy Briefing was published in May 2001 PDF288KB.
