HPV Vaccines in China: What constitutes a Trade Secret?

Why did citizens of China have to petition their government for access to clinical trial data currently available via multiple national and international government sponsored internet sites? Why is information regarding HPV vaccines which is open for public view throughout most of the world deemed a ‘trade secret’ in China? These questions are particularly relevant when you consider the heated controversy surrounding HPV vaccination programs in so many countries around the world. Is it possible that Director Bi Jing-quan, leader of China’s State Bureau of Food & Drug Administration knows information contained in clinical trial data would reveal substantial safety concerns surrounding HPV vaccines? Does Director Bi Jing-quan think the citizens of China would be eager to use HPV vaccines if they knew the true rate of adverse events is not known because no inert placebos were used during clinical trials? Is that one of the reasons HPV vaccine clinical trial data is a ‘trade secret’ in China?