Roche agrees to release Tamiflu trial drug data

Roche has revealed that it will give researchers access to all of its trial data on the Tamiflu drug.

BMJ has reported that the company will provide the information over the next few months, with estimates suggesting that half of all clinical trials have never been published and positive trial results are twice as probable to be published as negative.

It comes after Roche gave the Cochrane group access to one part of just ten Tamiflu trials, though there are 74 in total.

In February, the company agreed to give researchers access to more of its trial data, before an email was sent to researchers this week saying that it would provide each clinical study report over the next few months.

A representative for Roche said: "By amending the data transparency policy, Roche has taken a leading role in improving access to clinical trial data for third party researchers.

"We understand and support calls for our industry to be more transparent about clinical trial data with the aim of meeting the best interests of patients and medicine."

A representative from the company revealed that it had given researchers access to clinical study for all 74 Roche-sponsored trials on Tamiflu.

They explained that a full phase III clinical study report generally consists of 2000 to 3000 pages and redaction would be a "large undertaking".

Don MacLean, life cycle leader for Tamiflu at Roche, emailed Cochrane researchers earlier this month to propose offering data in a staggered approach over the course of the next few months.

Crucell and Scripps Research recently identified the first human antibodies that could be able to disable the influenza B viruses.

The discovery was published in JournalScience with the Johnson & Johnson-owned company working with Scripps Research and extra collaborators from the Centre of Influenza Research.