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NIH rolls back red tape on some experiments — spurring excitement and concern

Some human research will no longer be classified as a clinical trial, easing the paperwork burden, but not everyone agrees with the approach.
By
  1. Heidi Ledford

    1. Heidi Ledford reports for Nature from Seattle, Washington.

Many researchers are surprised and relieved over an unusual step taken by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH): the agency is rolling back the red tape on a host of basic-science experiments that involved human participants and had been classified as clinical trials.

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Nature 650, 278-279 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00337-x

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 04 February 2026: This story has been updated to note that the NIH did not respond to a request for comment.

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