Modern medicine has made great strides in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. While the discovery of numerous drugs has made a big difference in the health of millions of people, in certain cases, there are negative side effects that negate the benefits, and in many instances, the public is left in the dark.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal goes so far as to say that doctors and the public are being intentionally misled by big pharmaceuticals regarding the effectiveness and possible safety of their drugs. According to the article, this form of deception is occurring by way of sequestering negative data that might shine an unfavorable light on their products. This situation occurs less in the United States, where disclosure of all data, both positive and negative, is required.

In light of this, experts are calling for drug companies to publish all the data regarding their trials, not just the ones that show positive results, in order to ensure the safety of the public. The drug used as an example for the findings was the antidepressant reboxetine.

The company Pfizer, who makes the drug, defends its practices and stands by their product. Reboxetine is used widely throughout Europe but has been rejected by regulators in the United States. This raised some red flags and led some regulatory agencies to examine the research more closely.

What they found was that there existed unpublished trial data that the company chose not to disclose because it might have affected how the drug was viewed. Carrying out their own analysis, scientists uncovered eight previously unpublished trials for the manufacturer.

When studied in conjunction with the published data, they concluded that the drug worked no better than a placebo in regards to remission and response rates, and was not as effective as other antidepressants on the market. There were also more side effects with reboxetine than with the placebo, which resulted in lower levels of adherence.

Overall, what they observed was what they refer to as "publication bias," which overstates the supposed benefits of a drug while understating the potential harm. This phenomenon is said to be widespread throughout the industry and may in fact apply to numerous drugs currently on the market.

The authors of the study say that there is an "urgent need" for drug companies to be obligated to publish all of their trial data in order to protect the public and allow policy makers to make more informed decisions regarding a pharmaceutical product.

If you have questions or concerns about a medication, voice them to your doctor or pharmacist. For more information about medication, visit the website for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).