Editorial Standards

Controlling-source rule

Every material assertion uses the source closest to the fact. We add one or two independent secondary sources when available.

• Trial design and status → registry record and version history
• Trial results → peer-reviewed paper, posted registry result, regulatory review, or conference abstract
• Development guidance → company filing or earnings material, quoted with attribution
• Approval → regulator approval letter, label, and database
• Financial and deal terms → SEC filing or official transaction disclosure

Source hierarchy

For science and clinical results, we prefer regulator review and peer-reviewed full reports, followed by registry-posted results, conference abstracts, company topline releases, and independent reporting.

For trial status and design, we rely on registry records and regulator filings before company statements or secondary reporting.

Press-release rule

A company release is primary evidence that the company made a statement. It is not automatically evidence that the clinical interpretation is true. We label all unreviewed results as company-reported topline data and identify missing details.

Voice and attribution

We write in compact, analytical, neutral prose. We use “the company reported” for unreviewed topline claims and “ClinicalTrials.gov lists” for registry status. We distinguish fact, company statement, analyst inference, and editorial inference.

Corrections

Material errors are corrected visibly and promptly. Superseded assertions are retained in change logs so readers can see what changed, when, and why.