BPS announces intention to sign All Trials Petition, commits to working with ESHLSG on transparency
The British Pharmacological Society (BPS) today announces its intention to sign the AllTrials petition, www.alltrials.net. This decision underlines the Society’s unqualified commitment to the principles of transparency in clinical trials, which has been a central theme of its collaborative work with organisations in health and commercial life science settings for a number of years.
Professor Phil Routledge, BPS President, commented: “Clinical trial transparency is an issue about which many of our members feel strongly, so any campaign to encourage greater awareness should receive our support.”
It is important to note that full disclosure reaching back over decades, as called for by the AllTrials campaign, and which BPS supports in principle, could have major implications concerning cost, feasibility and responsibility for enforcement.
Therefore BPS will continue to work productively and proactively with partners including the Ethical Standards in Health and Life Sciences Group (www.eshlsg.org) to understand and influence the delivery of this policy, and would encourage others to contribute in the same way.
Responding to recent calls for the BPS to withdraw from the ESHLSG, Professor Routledge added: “We are aware of concerns expressed about the ESHLSG Guidelines and other issues, and are committed to working openly and consultatively with all our partners within ESHLSG to respond to these concerns, address any deficiencies, clarify where necessary, and further strengthen these important documents. I would like to encourage the AllTrials campaign leadership and its supporters to actively engage in this process with us.”