Covid-19 vaccines and treatments: we must have raw data, NOW

… a decade ago, in the middle of a different pandemic, it came to light that governments around the world had spent billions stockpiling antivirals for influenza

… had not been shown to reduce the risk of complications, hospital admissions, or death

… The majority of trials … of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) were sponsored by the manufacturer

… those that were published were ghostwritten by writers paid by the manufacturer

… the people listed as principal authors lacked access to the raw data

… Pfizer has indicated that it will not begin entertaining requests for trial data until May 2025

… Moderna says data “may be available … with publication of the final study results in 2022.

… AstraZeneca … “timelines vary per request and can take up to a year upon full submission of the request.”

… Underlying data for covid-19 therapeutics are similarly hard to find

… This is worrying for trial participants, researchers, clinicians, journal editors, policy makers, and the public

… “relying solely on the publications of clinical trials in scientific journals as the basis of healthcare decisions is not a good idea”

… release details such as why vaccine trials were not designed to test efficacy against infection and spread of SARS-CoV-2

… Big pharma is the least trusted industry

… At least three of the many companies making covid-19 vaccines have past criminal and civil settlements costing them billions of dollars

…  One pleaded guilty to fraud

… Data must be available when trial results are announced, published, or used to justify regulatory decisions

… There is no place for wholesale exemptions from good practice during a pandemic

… is the public that takes on the balance of benefits and harms that accompany vaccination

… Pharmaceutical companies are reaping vast profits without adequate independent scrutiny of their scientific claims

… The purpose of regulators is not to dance to the tune of rich global corporations and enrich them further; it is to protect the health of their populations

… data transparency for all studies, we need it in the public interest, and we need it now