Press release no. 6/2016

10 June 2016

The European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has welcomed increased transparency in the clinical testing of Humira, one of the world’s biggest selling drugs, following her inquiry into the publication of clinical study reports.

Humira, manufactured by the AbbVie pharmaceutical company, is an anti-inflammatory medicine used to treat Crohn’s disease and other common diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and ulcerative colitis.

But the Ombudsman also expressed concern about certain parts of four specific clinical trial reports into Humira which were withheld by the European Medicines Agency on the stated grounds of commercial interest and has asked EMA to reconsider these redactions. The Ombudsman said that the principle that public health is more important than commercial interest must be upheld.