Archive by date | August 2013

Japan investigations allege misconduct in large-scale clinical studies

The credibility of Japan’s clinical research system has come under fire as investigations report manipulation of data and conflict of interest involving the pharmaceutical company Novartis. Six published papers have been retracted, but Novartis has denied any wrongdoing. The country’s health minister has now started its own investigation, which is due to release its findings at the end of September.  Read more

Study finds widespread conflicts of interest in food-safety decisions

Food additives boost flavor, enliven colors, and stretch the shelf lives of everyday edibles. But the experts who gauge the additives’ safety often have suspect ties to food manufacturers, according to a new study.  Read more

Academies expose plight of jailed Turkish scientists

A human rights mission to Turkey to investigate the cases of eight scientists, engineers and medical doctors detained under vague but broad-ranging crimes like ‘attempting to overthrow the government’ has concluded that prosecutors have not provided convincing evidence of their guilt and called for all eight to be released.  Read more