Index of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Industry Clinical Study Programs and Non-Industry Funded Studies: A Necessary Basis to Address Reporting Bias in a Systematic Review

The document discussed the creation of an index for HPV vaccine clinical studies to address reporting bias in systematic reviews. It indexed 206 studies, with 145 funded by the industry and 61 by non-industry sources, involving 623,005 participants. The study found significant deficiencies in study availability and data reporting, with only half of the completed studies posting results on ClinicalTrials.gov. Industry studies were more often multicentre and had more participants, while non-industry studies included both sexes more frequently. The authors concluded that comprehensive indexing and systematic registration and publication of all studies were necessary to reduce reporting bias, as major regulators like the EMA and FDA based approvals on only half of the available trials.