If you’ve ever been involved with interim reviews of clinical trials on a DSMB (Data Safety and Monitoring Board), you will be warned about the importance of confidentiality. There are two big reasons for this. First, leaking of interim trial results could lead to insider trading. News that the trial is going well would lead to a jump in stock prices and news that the trial is going poorly would lead to a dip in stock prices. If someone gets early news from the DSMB, they could profit from that inside information. Continue reading →