Data that could save money and help doctors make smarter treatment decisions are often unavailable at the time new medicines hit the market, according to U.S. researchers. In a study out Tuesday, they found nearly a third of new drug approvals from the Food and Drug Administration included no data on how well the medications compare with existing alternatives. “Even when these things are accessible, it’s hugely time-consuming to go through it,” said Joshua Gagne, a pharmacist at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
