Consumer Alert - .gov site unreliable source of legitimate drug trials

ClinicalTrials.gov, that the public listing of medical trials on the site is not a list of trials that have been verified as legitimate by the National Institutes of Health.

The National Institutes of Health is the agency that operates ClinicalTrials.gov. People tend to assume that any trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov have been carefully screened and have governmental oversight. That is not correct. Unfortunately, there are are for-profit stem cell clinics that take advantage of the ClinicalTrials.gov site to market their services and therapies even if they are unproven. The National Institutes of Health does not have the money, staff or expertise to go through every application and verify that the registrations or studies are vetted and the application process is based solely on an "honor system". Consumers who are considering alternative treatments are urged to consult first with their doctors before proceeding with any type of treatment.*