<p>There are many things you can do to manipulate the outcome of a study, starting well before any data is collected. It often starts with poor sample/experiment design and builds from there. There are many phases to clinical trials, and they often take years to complete. When there has been a lot of time and money committed to a particular outcome (drug approval), there is a lot of pressure to design a study to achieve that outcome. It’s the unfortunate reality of the collision between capitalism and science.</p>