There is even more data now that shows just how common it is for researchers to blow off a U.S. mandate to publish the results of clinical studies. 

        Jaime Pérez-Alija and his colleague Pedro Gallego from the radiotherapy and oncology department at Hospital Plató in Barcelona took a look at 802 trials with a primary completion date before January 1, 2013, and concluded that 81.7% didn't publish even summary results as required.

        "These findings came as a surprise for many reasons, not least of which was that many of the trials had been funded by the US National Institutes of Health," noted Pérez-Alija in a planned presentation. "Since we know that clinical trials produce the best data for decision-making in modern evidenced-based medicine, it is particularly worrying that the law is being ignored on such a wide scale."

        True, some of the studies may have been extended. But if so, that was never noted on clinicaltrials.gov. The absence of published results, they say, directly threatens patients. And academics are the worst at publishing results.

        "Interestingly, we found that company-funded trials are far better at complying with the rules than academic trials--55% and 30% respectively. However, only one-third of all the trials we studied were company trials," stated Pérez-Alija.

        - heres the release