Clinical trial registries: From an omen to a common and disclosed practice

Objective: Clinical trials registries are important for guaranteeing trustworthy scientific knowledge. Despite international initiatives promoting trial registration, however, complete and high quality disclosure of trial information in such registries is not routine. The role of registries in also increasing transparency is fundamental, and these databases could be contemplated by research organizations, even at more local levels. Methods: A rare initiative was set up at the IRCCS-Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan in order to make the institute's ongoing research accessible to anyone. Results: The register currently includes 112 studies in which the institute participates. Conclusions: Work still needs to be done to improve the registry, but it is up and functional. Could, or should, such registries be routine for all scientific institutions?