Trump Administration Stop-Work Order Likely Affected 32 USAID-Funded Clinical Trials
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration’s January 2025 stop-work order likely affected 32 USAID-funded clinical trials conducted across 25 countries and as many as 94 thousand participants, according to a new Public Citizen report.
The clinical trials spanned across health subjects including infectious diseases, child health and nutrition programs and reproductive health. Public Citizen found that the funding freeze led to laid off staff, patient safety concerns and wasted time and U.S. taxpayer money.
Here are some quick facts:
- More than half of the trials (17 of 32) were specifically researching the world’s deadliest infectious diseases: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, tuberculosis, and malaria.
- Affected USAID-funded trials were conducted across five continents, predominantly in Africa (13 countries) and in Asia (nine countries)
- For eight trials where contact persons provided additional information, seven trials were affected before participants were enrolled or after data analysis was complete; one trial reported minor patient safety issues.
- The study sites most frequently mentioned across all trials were South Africa (9 times); Kenya and the United States (6 times each); and Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (4 times each).
The freeze also delayed data analysis and the publication of results and decreased trust in medical research.
Right now, it’s impossible to know all of the effects of the stop-work order. Public records about USAID-funded projects have been deleted, and affected researchers are reluctant to or have been prohibited from fully discussing the impacts. No contact persons for the trials were willing to provide information without a grant of anonymity.
The sudden, medically uncalled-for suspension of the clinical trials was a serious violation of research ethics, potentially jeopardizing the health of trial participants and the integrity of the trials.
“The ethical conduct of clinical trials is an obligation for researchers, research institutions, and funders, not a choice,” said Nina Zeldes, Ph.D., health researcher at Public Citizen’s Health Research Group and lead author of the report. “Researchers were unable to safeguard the welfare of participants and uphold their ethical obligations without violating the stop-work order.”
Other authors of the report are Greg Dudzik, M.D., MPH and Robert Steinbrook, M.D., respectively fellow and director at Public Citizen’s Health Research Group.
“The broad effects of the Trump Administration’s stop-work order should be a wake-up call for Congress and future administrations,” said Steinbrook. “Abruptly halting the trials was an egregious act.”