The activity of French research ethics committees and characteristics of biomedical research protocols involving humans: a retrospective cohort study.

"Competing interests The author(s) declare that they have no competing interest."

"AcknowledgementsWe thank Pr Yves Matillon and Pr Christian Hervé for their advice on drafting the protocol, Pr François Lemaire from the French National Clinical research Program (PHRC), Pr Terry Stacey, Central Office for Research Ethics Committees UK, for his advices on this paper, Marie-Pierre Rochette and Françoise Leclet, administrative staff of REC Lyon, Patricia Darnand and William Banga, members of the logistic staff; and the chairpersons and members of the participating French RECs: Alsace, Aulnay, Auvergne, Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Dijon, Loire, Lyon A, Lyon B, Lyon C, Marseille1, Marseille2, Montpellier, Nice, Normandie, Paris-Bicetre, Paris-Creteil, Paris-Hotel dieu, Paris-Necker, Paris-Versailles, Poitou, Toulouse1, Toulouse2, Tours. Our views are not necessarily theirs.Grant: French Ministry of Health (Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 1998 -065) and Hospices Civils de Lyon. French Ministry of Research and Higher Education and Claude Bernard University."