Despite the importance of randomized trials for well-informed decisions in health care, a large proportion of the results of these trials are not published, especially when they are negative. Publication bias has a negative impact in the treatment of patients, due to the distorted impression it leads to for new therapies. Clinical Trial Registries help to overcome this by providing transparency in the process of conducting research. The World Health Organization takes the position that the registration of interventional trials is a scientific, ethical and moral responsibility. Taking account of this global movement, the National Coordinating Centre of Clinical Trials and the Cuban Health Network, designed and implemented the Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials. The Registry was established in June 2007 and is intended for public service in Cuban territory, although it is open to registrants and patients outside Cuba. The Registry staff developed a strategy to become a Primary Registry of the World Health Organization, and this was achieved in February 2011.
The rapid development of Cuba's pharmaceutical industry in the 1990s created a need for structures to ensure clinical evaluation of products before their introduction into medical practice and subsequent marketing. One of the centers founded for this purpose was the National Clinical Trials Coordinating Center. This paper summarizes the factors that motivated the creation of the Center and presents a brief history of its organizational development over the last 17 years. It also describes the main components of the system for designing and conducting clinical trials, and the most signi¿ cant contributions of each toward achieving the Center's objectives.
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