title: The role of public health authorities, scientific societies and the pharmaceutical industry in planning and conducting intervention trials.
abstract: BODIES INVOLVED IN CLINICAL TRIALS: Government institutions, academia and associated scientific societies and the pharmaceutical industry are the main entities involved in planning and conducting intervention trials. Funding can only be expected from government institutions and industry, but academia and scientific societies play a major role in the design and conduct of such large-scale and long-term investigations. International health organizations and in rare cases charitable foundations are rarely involved directly but may play an important role owing to their expertise in the field. GOVERNMENT- AND INDUSTRY-INITIATED TRIALS: Examples are given of government- and industry-initiated trials. The Anticoagulants in Secondary Prevention of Events in Coronary Thrombosis (ASPECT) study and the European Lacidipine Study of Atherosclerosis (ELSA) belong to these two categories and are discussed in some detail.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that intervention trials require close cooperation and flexible interactions between the various entities involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacotherapy, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van Zwieten
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004345:Drug Industry; D006801:Humans; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012955:Societies, Medical