United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

FAQ: Clinical Trial Results

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Question: How can I find the results of a clinical trial?

Answer: If the results are published, you may find them if you search the following:

NLM MEDLINE/PubMed (search for the name of the study, study number, or use the subset - clinicaltrials.gov[si] in your strategy)
http://pubmed.gov

You can also use these strategies:
- Search for clinical trials as a publication type: (disease AND clinicaltrials [pt])
- Search for the name of the study's principal investigator or collaborators: (disease AND last name [ir])

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Clinical Trials Results
http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ct-types-list

NLM National Network of Libraries of Medicine for a local librarian to help you
http://nnlm.gov/members/

University of Maryland HS/HSL Clinical Trials Links
http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/resources/sitesbysub/trials.html

Please note:

You may need to contact the company that manufactures the product
http://www.physpharm.fmd.uwo.ca/www/selectlinks.ihtml?cat_id=8

Trial results may not be available even after a clinical trial ends.

Sometimes, trials end before completion, and researchers never publish the results

In some cases, NIH issues a clinical alert in advance of a completed trial or publication. The alert may be the only information published. NIH Clinical Alerts are at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/alerts/clinical_alerts.html

For more information about clinical trials & results:

NLM ClinicalTrials.gov FAQs
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/info/resources

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- From Test Tube to Patient
  http://www.fda.gov/cder/about/whatwedo/testtube-3a.pdf
- CDER Handbook
  http://www.fda.gov/cder/handbook/index.htm

The Cochrane Library Time to publication for results of clinical trials
http://www.update-software.com/abstracts/AM000011.htm

PhRMA Clinical Study Results
http://www.clinicalstudyresults.org/

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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/ctresults.html

Last reviewed: 18 July 2008
Last updated: 18 July 2008
First published: 30 March 2005
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