CNS Clinical Trials

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires that all clinical trials for drugs that affect the central nervous system--including psychiatric drugs--are assessed for whether that drug might cause suicidal ideation or behavior. The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted a meeting on June 26, 2009, to discuss the FDA's new policy and how to analyze best whether suicidal thoughts predict actual suicidal behavior in the near future.