In an open letter by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) published last week, a group of biotech CEOs argued that political considerations should be put aside by both major political parties and the conclusions about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 therapies should only be based on rigorous data collection and assessment by appropriate bodies.

The letter offered up five scientific best practices for research involving COVID-19 therapies, including a recommendation that biotech organizations only release COVID-19 clinical trial data at scientific meetings or in peer-review medical journals rather than by press releases alone.

The letter’s authors suggest that any press releases discussing COVID-19 trial data should outline “accurate descriptions of key data points,” but these data should not be released in a press release alone. Rather, the data should be presented alongside a clear statement that they will be submitted to peer review.

You can read the open letter here: https://bit.ly/3i1AEP8.