New Report Shows Industry Funded Studies More Likely to Have Positive Outcome
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday found that clinical trials for drugs are more likely to show positive results when they are funded by the pharmaceutical industry.
According to the L.A. Times, researchers reviewed 546 drug trials and found that 85% of the time, industry-funded trials resulted in positive outcomes, i.e. that the drug worked. Compare that to a positive outcome in 50% of government funded trials and 72% in trials funded by nonprofits and non-federal organizations. The L.A. Times also reported that among nonprofit and nonfederal studies, 85% of those receiving industry contributions were likely to have favorable outcomes compared to 61% where there were no industry contributions.
The results in Yaz / Yasmin clinical trials have had similar results. Bayer stands by studies it funded that show Yaz and Yasmin have a safety profile similar to second-generation progestins. However, the studies conducted without any industry contributions have generally found that the danger of venous thrombotic events such as stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis in Yaz / Yasmin users is more similar to the risk of third generation progestins.