ArticlePloS one2015
Terminated Trials in the ClinicalTrials.gov Results Database: Evaluation of Availability of Primary Outcome Data and Reasons for Termination.
Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 123 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
123 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
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- Hazards to avoid in future neonatal studies of nasal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation: lessons from an early terminated trial.BMC research notes · 2019Trial
- Early termination of clinical trials enrolling patients with breast cancer: Reasons, determinants, and temporal patterns.Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2026Article
- Repurposing of colchicine: critical examination of clinical trials and scoping review.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- TrialTriage, a Semiautonomous Prescreening Workflow for Resolving Ambiguity in Phase I Oncology Trial Eligibility: Development and Proof-of-Concept Study Using Synthetic Cases.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Updated recommendations for the design of therapeutic trials for neonatal seizures.Pediatric research · 2026Review
- Near-Real-Time Clinical Trial Accrual Dashboard in a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center: Mixed Methods Implementation Study.JMIR medical informatics · 2026Article
- Interpretation of Chemistry, Hematology and Coagulation Laboratory Results in Early-Phase Clinical Pharmacology Trials; a Retrospective Analysis Based on the Placebo Arm of Randomized-Controlled Trials.Clinical and translational science · 2026Article
- The ethical permissibility of financial incentives.Medicine, health care, and philosophy · 2026Article
- Trends and Predictors of Premature Termination of Cardiovascular Trials: A Systematic Review.JACC. Advances · 2026Article
- Occurrence and management of premature clinical trial termination: a survey of UK healthcare professionals.Trials · 2026Article
- Exploring scalable assessment methods for terminated trials in ClinicalTrials.gov: A cohort analysis of German and Californian trials.PloS one · 2026Article
- Patient engagement and shared decision-making in trial recruitment intervention studies: a systematic review.Research involvement and engagement · 2025Review
63 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundClinical trials that end prematurely (or "terminate") raise financial, ethical, and scientific concerns. The extent to which the results of such trials are disseminated and the reasons for termination have not been well characterized. METHODS AND
findingsA cross-sectional, descriptive study of terminated clinical trials posted on the ClinicalTrials.gov results database as of February 2013 was conducted. The main outcomes were to characterize the availability of primary outcome data on ClinicalTrials.gov and in the published literature and to identify the reasons for trial termination. Approximately 12% of trials with results posted on the ClinicalTrials.gov results database (905/7,646) were terminated. Most trials were terminated for reasons other than accumulated data from the trial (68%; 619/905), with an insufficient rate of accrual being the lead reason for termination among these trials (57%; 350/619). Of the remaining trials, 21% (193/905) were terminated based on data from the trial (findings of efficacy or toxicity) and 10% (93/905) did not specify a reason. Overall, data for a primary outcome measure were available on ClinicalTrials.gov and in the published literature for 72% (648/905) and 22% (198/905) of trials, respectively. Primary outcome data were reported on the ClinicalTrials.gov results database and in the published literature more frequently (91% and 46%, respectively) when the decision to terminate was based on data from the trial.
conclusionsTrials terminate for a variety of reasons, not all of which reflect failures in the process or an inability to achieve the intended goals. Primary outcome data were reported most often when termination was based on data from the trial. Further research is needed to identify best practices for disseminating the experience and data resulting from terminated trials in order to help ensure maximal societal benefit from the investments of trial participants and others involved with the study.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.