Herder cites a trial involving a class of anti-depressants that were not authorized for sale to people under the age of 19, he says, because of risks of self-harming in that age group. Photograph by: Photos.com , canada.com

OTTAWA — Health Canada should disclose the results of clinical trials to better protect the public and stop a perception that it is "industry-friendly," an analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says.

The ministry should require that clinical trials be registered, argues Dalhousie University professor Matthew Herder in an article published Monday, as is done in the United States, adding that most results are currently only made available through access to information requests.

Herder cites a trial involving a class of anti-depressants that were not authorized for sale to people under the age of 19, he says, because of risks of self-harming in that age group.

Health Canada was aware of this risk, but did not disclose it because of a law that prevents publishing a drug manufacturer's "trade secrets," he writes.

As a result, by 2004, doctors were widely prescribing the anti-depressants to teenagers.

"Physicians had no idea they were invoking their discretion to prescribe 'off label' on the basis of incomplete information — the balance of which Health Canada had in hand," Herder writes.

The department may have been acting on a law that protects manufacturers' confidential information, he says, but this goes beyond what that law requires.

The ministry has tried to become more transparent, he says, but has relented to opposition by groups representing medical-device makers, pharmaceutical companies and others.

Health Canada's lack of action "adds to the perception that it is industry-friendly," he says.

The department should stop dragging its feet and follow the lead of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Herder argues. It should register and disclose all clinical trial results to ensure Canadians' trust and better protect their health