Stakeholders ask Congress for more transparency in patient data

Stakeholders requested that FDA allow pharmaceutical companies to share more information with physicians about real-world drug usage so they can make more informed choices to provide better patient care. During a Tuesday hearing held as part of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee's Path to 21st Century Cures initiative, stakeholders discussed the discovery, development and delivery cycle and the importance of transparent collaboration to bring better treatments to patients sooner.

Joseph Pitts, chairman of the E&C's health subcommittee, acknowledged that discovery of the risks and benefits of a drug does not end with FDA approval and is often the beginning of learning about different uses for drugs, including other indications. Moreover, real-world usage brings out additional information on safety and efficacy, and "ensuring that this knowledge is shared widely among providers, patients, and researchers is critical." ...