A Registry Entry Changed: How to Record the Version and Date

By the Regenerative Evidence Guide Team

What It Means When a Registry Entry Changes

A study registry entry is the public record of a research study on a site like ClinicalTrials.gov. The people running the study can update that record, so the page you read today may not match what was posted months ago. To keep track of it, write down the study’s NCT number, the version and date you read, the key dates exactly as the record labels them, and the date you looked.

This guide gives you a checklist for doing that. It also covers what a registry record can and cannot show, and gives you a worksheet for asking clearer questions. It does not tell you whether any treatment is right for you.

By Regenerative Evidence Guide Editorial Team

Updated: September 23, 2026

First: If You Have Urgent Symptoms

If you have severe or sudden symptoms after any procedure or injection, contact local emergency services right away. A registry record cannot help in an emergency.

If you were hurt or had a bad side effect after a regenerative medicine product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages you to report it to its MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program, according to the FDA’s patient and consumer page on regenerative medicine therapies.

Key Terms in Plain Language

Registry entry (study record): the public page describing a study’s plan, status, and, when available, its summary results.
NCT number: the study’s ID on ClinicalTrials.gov. It starts with the letters “NCT.” It is the best way to make sure everyone is talking about the same study.
Version: one saved state of the record. When the record is updated, a new version is added to its history.
Record History: the part of a ClinicalTrials.gov record that lists earlier versions with their dates. It may also list which sections changed, such as study status or outcome measures.
Sponsor or investigator: the organization or researcher responsible for the study. The National Library of Medicine (NLM), which runs ClinicalTrials.gov, describes registration and results information as submitted “by the sponsor or investigator” (NLM Technical Bulletin, 2017).

The Version-and-Date Checklist

Use this checklist each time you look at a registry entry you care about. Copy labels and dates exactly as they appear. Do not paraphrase them.

NCT number. Write it in full.
Study title. Copy it word for word.
Page address (URL). Save the full link you used.
Your viewing date. The day you read the record. This is your own date, not a date on the page.
Record dates as labeled. Copy each date label and its date, such as when information was first submitted and first posted, and the most recent update date shown. NLM notes that the “First Submitted” date shows when the posted information was first submitted (NLM Technical Bulletin, 2024).
Version from the Record History. Open the history and write down the version number and date that match what you read.
Sections that changed. If the history lists changed sections, note which ones changed between the version you first saw and the current one.
Status shown. Copy the recruitment or study status exactly.
Results status. Note whether results are posted. On the current layout, a record without results shows “Results Not Posted” (NLM, 2024).
A saved copy. Save a PDF or screenshot and name the file with the NCT number and your viewing date.
Who pointed you to it. If a clinic, seller, or person shared the record, note who, when, and what they said it showed.

Myth Versus Reality

Myth: “It’s on ClinicalTrials.gov, so it must be approved or legal.”
- Reality: The FDA states: “The inclusion of a product in the clinicaltrials.gov database or the fact that a firm has registered with FDA and listed its product does not mean the product is legally marketed” (FDA).
Myth: “The page I see today is what was always posted.”
- Reality: Records can have several versions over time. The Record History shows earlier versions and their dates.
Myth: “A change means something went wrong.”
- Reality: A change alone does not tell you why it was made. That is why it helps to note which sections changed and then ask about them.
Myth: “If a clinic sends me a registry link, the product I’m offered is part of that study.”
- Reality: The FDA says patients are sometimes referred to clinicaltrials.gov “as a way to suggest that the products being offered are in compliance with FDA laws and regulations. This is often false” (FDA).
Myth: “A registered study proves the treatment works.”
- Reality: A record describes a study’s plan and, when posted, its summary results. A plan is not proof, and some records show “Results Not Posted.”

What a Registry Record Can and Cannot Tell You

Verified facts from the sources

Registration and results information are submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the sponsor or investigator (NLM, 2017).
In 2017, NLM described a tool that tracks the quality control (QC) review status of submitted results that are not yet posted (NLM, 2017). The site has been redesigned since then, so the current layout may differ.
The data elements and their requirements “have changed considerably over the past 25 years.” Older records may have been registered under different rules (NLM, 2024).
The “Researcher View” tab shows all registration data elements and marks missing required items as “not provided” (NLM, 2024).
The FDA says regenerative medicine products “require FDA oversight in a clinical trial” before approval. It says it has told manufacturers, clinics, and practitioners they need Investigational New Drug applications (INDs) to legally give these products (FDA, content current as of April 8, 2024).

Limits to keep in mind

A version date tells you when a record changed, not why.
A registry record is not an approval and does not by itself show that a treatment is safe or effective.
Website labels and layouts can change. Always copy the labels shown on the day you look.
The FDA page cited here was current as of April 8, 2024. Check it for newer guidance.

For ClinicalTrials.gov’s own guidance on reading records, see How to Read Study Results. For how this publication checks sources, see How We Research.

Conversation Worksheet: Questions to Bring

Take your completed checklist to a conversation with your own doctor, the study team, or anyone who referred you to the record. Write down each answer, who gave it, and the date.

“Which NCT number are you referring to, and which version or date of the record?”
“The Record History shows a change to this section on this date. What changed, and does it affect people like me?”
“Is the product I would receive being given as part of this registered study?”
“Is this product given under FDA oversight, such as under an IND? Can you show me documentation?”
“Am I being asked to pay for this?” The FDA says that if you are “being charged for these products or offered these products outside of a clinical trial, you are likely being deceived and offered a product illegally” (FDA).
“Have results been posted? If not, what evidence are you relying on?”
“Who can I contact if the record changes again?”

If you are considering one of these products and have questions, the FDA page lists this contact: ocod@fda.hhs.gov. New to this site? Begin with Start Here.

About This Guide and Medical Disclaimer

This article is general educational information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose conditions, recommend treatments, or replace a conversation with a qualified health professional. Do not start, stop, or change any treatment based on this article. See our full Medical Disclaimer.

Regenerative Evidence Guide is an independent educational publication. It is not affiliated with the organization that previously used this domain, or with its faculty, conferences, clinics, or training programs. It does not offer treatment, training, credentials, or continuing education.

Sources: FDA: Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies; NLM Technical Bulletin: ClinicalTrials.gov Further Enhancements to Functionality (2017); NLM Technical Bulletin: ClinicalTrials.gov Study Record Modernization (2024).