When does a trial fail?

In a clinical research trial, a clinical endpoint generally refers to occurrence of a disease, symptom, sign or laboratory abnormality that constitutes one of the target outcomes of the trial.

These endpoints have to defined before the trial is started (Check out Clinical trial.gov for examples and see if there is any manipulation of these..yes it is all trackable!) and are either primary or secondary. 

If the trial does not meet the primary endpoint it is a failure even if there are positive secondary endpoints. A second trial using the successful (secondary) endpoint as a the primary endpoint, which would have to be passed, needs to be done for it to be deemed successful.

This is to stop pharma cherry-picking and spinning the positive results.

This is especially the case because if you look at loads of outcomes by chance, one will be positive.

Is this a silly rule that causes unnecessary delays or is it there to protect you against pharma spin?