What information should a sponsor of a randomized trial receive during its conduct?

BACKGROUND: The relationship and roles among the steering committee, the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), and the sponsor of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) must be carefully defined to ensure the integrity of the trial. PURPOSE: We present an unusual scenario that arose during the conduct of a large RCT in Canada that involved the relationship of the steering committee and the DSMB with the peer review sponsor.