Medical researchers baffled by Trump administration’s stop work order for clinical trial system: ‘A giant step backwards’

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"We had taken 15 years to build what was destroyed with a single email, halting vital research across the country".

Barbara Bieber, director of the system known as the SMART IRB (streamlined, multisite, accelerated resources for trials institutional review board), tells Fortune, “People were really shocked.

The move threatens to delay thousands of human studies on everything from cancer to dementia.“We were told to cease all work … immediately,” an April 22 statement on its website reads, in part.“The order did not include a reason or explanation.

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Article Details

Author / Journalist: Beth Greenfield

Category: EconomyBusiness

Markets: United States

Topics: DOGE Science Medical Research Donald Trump

Source Website Secure: Yes (HTTPS)

News Sentiment: Negative

Fact Checked: Legitimate

Article Type: News Report

Published On: 2025-05-05 @ 19:39:00 (21 hours ago)

News Timezone: GMT +8:00

News Source URL: fortune.com

Language: English

Article Length: 785 words

Reading Time: 5 minutes read

Sentences: 4 lines

Sentence Length: 197 words per sentence (average)

Platforms: Desktop Web, Mobile Web, iOS App, Android App

Copyright Owner: © Fortune

News ID: 28415259

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Official Website: fortune.com

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