Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary ethical responsibility of the investigator in clinical research?
What is the primary ethical responsibility of the investigator in clinical research?
Why is it important for investigators not to simply accept sponsor-drafted protocols?
Why is it important for investigators not to simply accept sponsor-drafted protocols?
Which of the following is a critical aspect of defining end points in a clinical trial?
Which of the following is a critical aspect of defining end points in a clinical trial?
What potential issue arises from having too favorable inclusion and exclusion criteria in a study?
What potential issue arises from having too favorable inclusion and exclusion criteria in a study?
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How should randomization be structured in clinical trials?
How should randomization be structured in clinical trials?
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What is a potential consequence of failing to publish negative trial results?
What is a potential consequence of failing to publish negative trial results?
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What is one requirement that should be established before a clinical study begins?
What is one requirement that should be established before a clinical study begins?
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How should companies handle reports of serious adverse events in clinical trials?
How should companies handle reports of serious adverse events in clinical trials?
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What is a common issue related to the publication of negative trial results?
What is a common issue related to the publication of negative trial results?
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What timeframe should a company typically allow for review before publishing study results?
What timeframe should a company typically allow for review before publishing study results?
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What is one of the recommendations made by the AMA regarding investigators in industry-sponsored research?
What is one of the recommendations made by the AMA regarding investigators in industry-sponsored research?
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What is the purpose of nondisclosure agreements in the context of industry-supported research?
What is the purpose of nondisclosure agreements in the context of industry-supported research?
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Which clause is particularly important to review when entering a research contract to ensure patient safety?
Which clause is particularly important to review when entering a research contract to ensure patient safety?
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What is one of the responsibilities of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in clinical research?
What is one of the responsibilities of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in clinical research?
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What issue was highlighted by the Olivieri case regarding contract agreements in clinical research?
What issue was highlighted by the Olivieri case regarding contract agreements in clinical research?
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Why is frequent reporting from the data-monitoring committee important during a clinical trial?
Why is frequent reporting from the data-monitoring committee important during a clinical trial?
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Which of the following is a potential consequence for investigators from nondisclosure agreements?
Which of the following is a potential consequence for investigators from nondisclosure agreements?
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What potential issue arises when a company controls the data in clinical research?
What potential issue arises when a company controls the data in clinical research?
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What role does the data-monitoring committee play in clinical trials?
What role does the data-monitoring committee play in clinical trials?
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What is a common problem associated with the summarized analysis provided by the company to investigators?
What is a common problem associated with the summarized analysis provided by the company to investigators?
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Study Notes
Publication of Clinical Research
- 58% of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are non-industry sponsored, while 42% are industry sponsored. (Gross et al., 2002)
- Complex interactions exist between industry, investigators, patients, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders in clinical research. (Rutherford, 2000)
Types of Conflicts
- Non-financial conflicts include:
- Desire to prove prior hypotheses were correct
- Self-promotion/peer recognition
- Political agendas
- Religious beliefs
- Financial conflicts include:
- Study support
- Investigator support to conduct a study
- Royalties/patents
- Expert Witness
- "Insider" information
Prevalence of Financial Conflicts
- 22% of community internists participated in industry trials in 2003.
- 28% of faculty received industry research funds in 1996.
- 124 academic institutions held equity in businesses engaged in research at the same institution.
- 36% of IRB members had financial conflicts in 2006. (Ashar et al., 2004; Blumenthal et al., 1996; Campbell et al., 2006)
Financial Conflict of Interest
- Defined as situations where financial considerations compromise or appear to compromise an investigator's judgment in conducting or reporting research. (1990 AAMC Guidelines)
- Authors' published opinions strongly correlate with their financial arrangements. (Gross, 200X)
Study Design Bias
- Example: Fluconazole vs. amphotericin B, where 92% of trial patients were in trials sponsored by the manufacturer of fluconazole. (Johansen et al., 20XX)
- Oral amphotericin was a poorly absorbed comparison agent rarely used for systemic infections.
- Fluconazole shows a wonder-drug effect compared to the poorly performing control.
Systematic Review: Industry Sponsorship vs. Study Outcome
- Industry-supported studies often had a hazard ratio greater than one, suggesting a positive impact. (Bekelman et al., 2003)
Financial Conflicts in Research
- Financial conflicts in research are pervasive, powerful, clinically hazardous, and threaten scientific integrity.
Potential Problems with Industry-Supported Clinical Research
- Financial conflicts of interest
- Nondisclosure agreements
- Research contracts
- Development of research protocols
- Comparative groups (inclusion/exclusion criteria)
- Blinding and randomization
- End points
- Cost considerations
- Institutional review board (IRB) approval
- Data analysis
- Data collection, analysis, and control of data (data monitoring committee)
- Interim data release
- Presentation and publication of data
- Adverse events
- Delays in publication
- Multiple publications
- Publication committees
- Contract complexity and potential for investigator rights/integrity issues
Case Studies
- The Olivieri case highlights issues with financial conflicts and contracts. (Rutherford, 2000)
- The Rhone-Poulenc-Rorer case demonstrates a more positive relationship between industry and investigator. (Rutherford, 2000)
Journals
- Journals emphasize author independence, objective data analysis, and publication bias.
Trial Registration
- Trial registration is required for trials and includes details like hypothesis, interventions, endpoints, eligibility criteria, and funding sources. (ICMJE, 2005)
JAMA Policy Regarding Data Analysis
- Industry-sponsored studies must have independent statisticians who are identified and provided with the entire raw data set, study protocol, and analytic plan.
Disclosure to Participants
- Consent forms should disclose conflicts of interest, with committee oversight.
- A 2004 survey of IRBs found that disclosure was suggested by 48% of IRBs in surveys but oversaw financial conflicts by only 4%.
Types of Scientific Misconduct from Self-Reports
- Overinterpretation
- Selective reporting
- Subgroup analyses
- Negative outcomes
- Inappropriate subgroup analysis
- Reporting issues
- Analysis by sponsor
Publication Standards
- Editorial oversight and independent investigations are key for controlling misconduct.
- Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines improve clinical trial reporting.
Methods to Limit Ethical Misconduct in Clinical Trials
- Pre-trial: Institutional/funding agencies take responsibility for training, contracting, monitoring, and reporting.
- Individual/Research Teams: Use of publication standards (e.g., CONSORT).
- Peer and Editorial Review
- Open Access Publishing
CONSORT E-CHECKLIST
- Detailed checklist for describing information needed in publication of clinical trials (see specific pages 30, and 31 for full list).
Meta-analysis Principles
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All trials must be included, regardless of publication status.
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Identification of all relevant trials is crucial
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Randomly select trials, do not arbitrarily lump trials.
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Reanalysis of raw data is preferred for uniform endpoints
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Appropriate measures of trial quality should be used.
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Sensitivity analyses are needed to evaluate robustness of conclusions.
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Be careful lumping fundamentally different interventions into analysis
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Description
This quiz explores the essential ethical responsibilities of investigators in clinical research. It covers topics such as the importance of critically evaluating sponsor-drafted protocols and the implications of inclusion/exclusion criteria in studies. Participants will also learn about issues related to the publication of clinical trial results.