We are pleased to share that Tracey Weissgerber, team leader of the EXCELScIOR project, has co-authored a new opinion article calling for urgent reforms in how clinical study data are shared in Germany.
Despite strong endorsements from funders, journals, and international frameworks—as well as growing support from patients—clinical study data sharing remains the exception rather than the norm. This article outlines the critical challenges that researchers face in Germany, including legal uncertainty, lack of infrastructure, and insufficient incentives.
The authors propose six concrete and actionable steps to improve data availability, targeting trial registries, ethics committees, and governance structures. They also stress the need to equip researchers with data sharing skills and to create a system that rewards openness.
Although the article focuses on the German context, the barriers it identifies and the solutions it recommends may resonate with broader efforts to promote transparency and data reuse across Europe and beyond—including in Portugal.
Improving access to clinical study data is essential to advance responsible research, avoid duplication, and accelerate scientific progress—core goals of the EXCELScIOR project.
📖 Read the full article here.
