Friday, July 2, 2004

Clinical Validation

Hypotheses are checked not against impersonal trials of their adequacy but against testimonials, case studies and assessments of success made by parties with a stake in their outcome.

Frederick C. Crews, Out, Damned Blot! New York Review July 15 2004


Drug companies only publish the results of favourable trials. Some people argue they should be forced to publish all results, whether favourable or otherwise. However, this could simply cause the drug companies to engineer the trials more carefully in advance, to reduce the risk that the trials might reveal anything inconvenient to their commercial agenda.

Marcia Angell, The Truth About the Drug Companies, New York Review July 15 2004

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