The Surgisphere Scandal: A Case Study in Research Misconduct

The Surgisphere Scandal - Based on an article by Catherine Offord in The Scientist Magazine, this seminar is a case study in research misconduct. This session will dissect the case of an obscure U.S. company with a hastily constructed website that drove international health policy and brought major clinical trials to a halt within the span of a few weeks. The case centers on a paper published in The Lancet that suggested hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, was associated with an increased risk of death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Within days, the study caused public health bodies including the WHO to change strategy and suspend recruitment of clinical trials. Shortly thereafter, however, cracks began to appear in the study, and many problems came to light. This session will discuss how something like this could happen so quickly and whether it could be prevented from happening again. Presenters also will consider the legacy for public health.

Research credit will be given for attendance.

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