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Influenza research impeded?
20112-01-11
The U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, which has asked scientists and journals to redact key details in two explosive influenza papers, is also considering a call for a voluntary broader moratorium on the publication of similar studies while an international debate is held to discuss how the field should proceed (Science). Read more »
Commentary: Don't censor life-saving science (Nature)
Many clinical trials buried
2012-01-11
Researchers have found that fewer than half of a sample of trials funded by NIH, had not been published within 30 months of completing the clinical trial. (EurekAlert!). Read more »
Nanosensors = fewer animal experiments?
2012-01-11
Researchers hope to have found an alternative approach to animal testing: they hope sensor nanoparticles will reduce the need for it (Fraunhofer). Read more »
Lifegene stopped by Data Inspection Board
2011-12-19
Because consent is given to non-specific purposes, the Data Inspection Board ban all handling of personal information in the Lifegene project. (Swedish Data Inspection Board). Read more »
Update: Reaction from scientists (Svenska Dagbladet)
Chimpanzees only for severe conditions
2011-12-15
As chimpanzees are so close to humans, NIH should only allow them as subjects in biomedical research under stringent conditions, says a new report (National Research Council). Read more »
More: NIH to follow report recommendations (ScienceInsider).
Alliance slams European Court
2011-12-13
The Alliance of German Scientific Organizations has now publicly criticized an ruling from the European Court of Justice that bans patenting of inventions involving human embryonic stem cells as that is immoral (Nature News). Read more »
Animal research can be humane and ethical
2011-12-07
Medical researchers who use animals in their work need to do more “to show the public what research labs do”, said noted animal psychologist Temple Grandin (Seattle/LocalHealthGuide).
Read more »
Can solidarity inform bioethics?
2011-12-07
Barbara Prainsack and Alena Buyx reflect on this concept and the implications for biobanks (BioNews). Read more »
Trolley dilemma empirically studied
2011-12-05
Out of the total number of research participants in a three dimensional setting, given the power to kill one person to save five, about 90 percent are willing to violate a moral rule if it means minimizing harm (Science Daily). Read more »
Prison for illegal & lethal experiments
2011-12-02
Four former executives of Synthes Inc. have been sentenced to prison for carrying out human medical trials illegally in which three participants lost their lives (Medical News Today). Read more »
Taiwan to destroy research possibilities
2011-11-22
Millions of biomedical samples are set to be destroyed next February due to lack of official participant consent (The China Post). Read more »
More contagious bird flu virus provoke questions
2011-11-18
Should you turn a lethal virus into a lethal and highly contagious virus? And then publish how you did it? (NPR) Read more »
Stem cell ruling misleading?
2011-11-03
Last month's ruling that inventions derived from human embryonic stem cells are largely unpatentable will shape research. Now, it is claimed that the ruling contains crucial errors with respect to the underlying science (Nature). Read more »
Stem cell patents banned in Europe
2011-10-22
The European Court of Justice has ruled that all patents that would require the process of destroying a human embryo at and after the blastocyst stage for stem cell research are banned in Europe (News.com). Read more »
Finally EU patent??
2011-10-10
The head of the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services today renewed their commitment to introduce a unitary EU patent, which they say would significantly ease workloads and reduce costs for patent applicants (Intellectual Property Watch). Read more »
EU must reform clinical trial regulation
2011-10-04
Medical research organisations are urging the European Union to review the regulation of clinical trials because they say that excessive bureaucracy is hampering research into new treatments without enhancing the safety of patients (BMJ). Read more »
Link to statement
'Patent trolls' target biotechnology firms
2011-10-04
A US court case in which a firm specializing in patent litigation won, might set a troubling precedent in allowing very broad patents (Nature News). Read more »
On-line informed consent tool
2011-10-04
A new multimedia informed consent tool accessed via the Internet may make it easier for cancer patients to understand and feel comfortable enrolling in clinical trials, according a study conducted by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (EurekAlert!). Read more »
French law make conflict of interest disclosure mandatory
2011-09-20
France is contemplating a revamp of its drug approval system and are due to discuss updates to the rules governing disclosures of conflict of interests by experts involved in the country's drug approval process. Read more »
US Patent Reform Signed Into Law
2011-09-19
New patent reform legislation aims at helping American entrepreneurs and businesses bring their inventions to market sooner, and convert the ideas from America’s universities and research labs into new products. Read more »
Swedish research council retracts misconduct inquiry
2011-09-13
The report on research performed by professor Suchitra Holgersson has been retracted. There are unacceptable question marks surrounding the inquiry. Read more (in Swedish) »
Researchers in Guatemala knew study was unethical
2011-09-01
U.S. researchers knowingly breached medical ethics by infecting Guatemalans with venereal diseases in the 1940s without informing them of the risks, a presidential commission has found (Shots Blog)Read more »
EU prepares to re-open REACH 'can of worms''
2011-08-31
Only a small number of chemicals get tested properly, so now EU prepares a review of the REACH regulation (EurActiv).
Read more »
New website collecting misconduct cases
2011-08-17
A new website, Scientific red cards, is dedicated to taking inventory of scientific publications for which research misconduct has been assessed, and to be a platform for discussing the issue of research integrity.
Authorship rules misleading?
2011-08-14
In a recent article, Alastair Matheson claims that rules set up by leading medical journals to define and credit authorship of published articles make it possible to conceal and misrepresent industry contributions to the literature (Science Daily). Read more »
Gene patents decision in the US
2011-08-09
While manipulated pieces of DNA might get patented, analyzing gene sequences for alterations is not patentable, ruled a US appeals court recently (Science Insider). Read more »
News in patent law
2011-08-09
July 1, 2011 a change was made in the patent law that makes it clear how a demand for inovation doesn't stop patents on new medical uses for old substances (Source: Swedish Government).
Glowing dog might be key to cures
2011-08-07
South Korean scientists have created a glowing dog using a cloning technique that could help find cures for human diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Yonhap news agency and Reuters report. Read more »
Consent documents too complex
2011-08-04
A review of 124 informed-consent documents used in 21 HIV clinical trials found that the forms were typically too long and use language that is too complex (American Medical News).
Read more »
APS condemns extremism and harassment
2011-08-03
In a recent statement, the American Physiological Society condemns the extremist targeting of researchers engaged in legitimate scientific inquiry. Link to statement
Animals containing human material
2011-08-01
That is the subject of a recently released report by UK's Academy of Medical Sciences. They believe that the mixing of human and animal material should be approached with great caution. But some highly controversial experiments should be allowed to proceed. Link to report
Rule Changes Proposed for Research on Humans
2011-07-31
The US government is now proposing changes to the rules for human subjects research, in order to both strengthen protections and fascilitating important research (New York Times).
Read more »
The great ape debate on its way
2011-06-17
In the US, a debate has started on whether it is moral to use primates in research aiming at benefit for man (Nature). Read more »
Blew the whistle - lost the job
2011-06-09
An american university denies it retaliated against a researcher who questioned supervisor's data, reports Nature in a thought-provoking news story. Read more »
Shockingly unethical trial
2011-05-20
A report on the alleged irregularities in the conduct of an Indian human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine trial, reveals gross and shocking ethical violations. (The Hindu). Read more »
Drawback for reprogrammed cells
2011-05-17
Medical applications of induced pluripotent stem cells are called into question, after cells having trigged immune reactions in mice (Nature). Read more »
Online Image
2011-05-12
Researchers are increasingly resourceful in boosting their online presence and reputation. But getting the right facts out there, and citing and linking to the best, most trustworthy sources of information, are key, writes Nature in an editorial. Läs mer »
Canada needs to investigate research misconduct
2011-05-11
Canada needs an independent agency to investigate research misconduct, states an editorial in CMAJ (EurekAlert!). Read more »
US court approve embryonic stem cell research
2011-05-05
On 29 April the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ended the injunction prohibiting government funding of research using human embryonic stem cells, saying that the NIH can use federal money to support research using these cells (BMJ). Read more »
Evidence to medical staff being complicit in torture
2011-04-28
In a PLoS Medicine article, Neglect of Medical Evidence of Torture in Guantánamo Bay: A Case Series, the authors relate nine case records of individuals imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay which indicate that medical personnel neglected medical evidence of torture. Read more »
Stop for stem-cell research in Europe?
2011-04-27
Ruling on stem-cell patents may spell end of research in Europe, writes The Independent. Read more »
Positive reactions despite increase of administration
2011-04-20
The new EU directive on the testing of animals will increase administrative burdens for researchers. Nevertheless, many are positive to the new regulation, Djurförsök.info reports.
Read more »
Easier to do emergency and biobank research
2011-04-20
In Denmark a new bill suggests that it be made easier to do research on anonymous biological samples without ethical review and on acutely ill patients without consent. (Forskningsetiske Komiteer). Read more »
Launch of EU trial register
2011-03-22
Today the new EU clinical trial register is published on the web. Read more »
Article identifies early phases research problems
2011-03-16
A well-noted article in PLoS Medicine argues that early trials do not build on sufficient animal studies and knowledge of earlier studies; deficits that need to be corrected by authorities asking for better basic data in order to approve studies. Read more »
European Court rejects stem-cell patents
2011-03-15
The European Court of Justice has issued a preliminary opinion that procedures involving established human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines are not patentable, Nature reports. Read more »
EU patent moves (somewhat) closer
2011-03-14
Last week there has been both good and bad news for proponents of a common patent and litigation system in Europe (IP Watch). Read more »
Sad record
2011-03-04
Now 90 articles by the German researcher working in anesthesiology has been retracted (Retraction Watch).
Read more »
First 70, now 11 more retractions
2011-02-28
About a year ago, Acta Crystallographica announced it was pulling 70 papers from researchers at a Chinese university after discovering fake reported structures. Now, after an extensive investigation into other papers, 11 more articles are retracted (Retraction Watch). Read more »
Difficult to investigate high-rank administrators
2011-02-25
Faculty member allegations over research results at a Japanese university highlight the difficulties of investigating high-ranking administrators, the university president in this case (Nature).
Read more »
Climate change scientists cleared again
2011-02-25
In the latest report, from the Commerce Department, UK, leaked e-mails are again said to offer no evidence of misconduct (Daily Mail). Read more »
New article retraction record
2011-02-25
A South Corean research group from Suwon now has the dubious modern record in retracted articles: 17! (Retraction Watch)
Read more »
One scandal after another
2011-02-20
This harsch judgement comes from Carl Elliott. writer of a new book on how drug companies buy loyalty (Star Tribune).
Read more »
Dangerous medical devices often not tested
2011-02-16
American researchers have found that medical devices recalled by the FDA often haven't been subject to clinical trials (EurekAlert!). Read more »
Parliament keeps supporting EU patent
2011-02-15
The EU Parliament today is expected to give a green light to the launch of a common patent system without Spain and Italy on board (EurActiv). Read more »
Over 90 articles risk being retracted
2011-02-08
After an article penned by a German anesthesiologist was withdrawn in 2009, the inquiry that followed has indicated far more serious concerns. Now over 90 articles documenting clinical trials might be retracted because of a lack of ethical vetting. (Retraction Watch). Read more »
Foreign clinical trials without oversight
2011-02-08
A new report reveals that very few trials in developing countries by Western sponsors are ethically approved or monitored by developed country oversight agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration agency (FDA). Read more »
ASM issues ten year ban on publishing
2011-01-24
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), publisher of Infection and Immunity, has now retracted five papers by a Japanese scientist who allegedly mapipulated images. They also banned him from publishing in any of its journals for 10 years. Read more »
Trial registration info included in consent
2011-01-07
The FDA has issued a that requires informed consent documents for “applicable” clinical trials to include a statement that information about the trial will be or has been submitted for inclusion in ClinicalTrials.gov’s trial registry, writes Thomson. Read more »
Editorial criticizes over-regulation
2010-12-22
In an editorial for Clinical Trials, the existing regulative framework for clinical trials is said to creating "a byzantine maze of bureaucratic steps that emphasize relatively unimportant issues, leading to waste, obstructing the conduct of well-designed important trials, and
impeding scientific progress". Read more »
Synthetic biology report under fire
2010-12-20
The Presidential Commission today came under fire for not being sufficiently wary of synthetic biology (see below 2010-11-29).
Read more »
Commission opens the way for a unitary patent
2010-12-17
The European Commission has presented a proposal opening the way for "enhanced cooperation" to create unitary patent protection in the EU. Such unitary patent protection would allow those Member States that so desired to agree to establish a patent, valid in all participating countries, that could be obtained with a single application. Read more »
German immunologists guilty of misconduct
2010-12-07
An investigation committee has found two former postdocs at the Research Center Borstel in Germany guilty of scientific misconduct, Nature writes. Read more »
No strict US rules for synthetic biology
2010-11-29
A presidential bioethics commission concluded this week that the U.S. government should not clamp down too hard on research on synthetic biology, a young field that it says doesn't yet pose serious risks (Science). Read more »
EU to revise data directive
2010-11-29
Until January 15, the EU Commission has a public consultation over its suggested changes to the EU data protection directive.
Read more »
40's experimentation influence US today
2010-11-25
As a response to revelations about unethical research in Guatemala, President Obama has order a review of regulations and protections to ensure that research subjects are properly protected in US research. Read more »
US scientists more likely to fabricate
2010-11-17
US scientists are significantly more likely to publish fake research than scientists from elsewhere, finds a trawl of officially retracted studies, and many are repeat offenders (ScienceDaily). Read more »
Mystery fraud accusations
2010-10-28
Stem-cell researchers targeted by e-mails from unidentified group (Nature News). Read more »
Update: Nature finds no misconduct
Plagiarism mapped
2010-10-26
In a recent study, interesting data on how much and where there are plagiarized sections in articles have been found, EurekAlert! informs. Read more »
Commitments in animal ethics committees
2010-10-26
In three animal ethics committees, members have been allowed to take part in decisions where there were conflicts-of-interests, something that is now citicised by JO. Read more »
Guidelines for stem cell research postponed
2010-10-22
The Swedish Research Council wants to do further work on them in light of recent debate and new legislation, Ny Teknik reports.
Read more »
Updated rules for clinical trials applications
2010-10-21
The EU Commission has updated its guidance on how to apply for clinical trials. Therefore LVFS 2003:6 is being revised. One purpose is to make clear the division of labour between the medical products agancies (Läkemedelsverket) and the ethics committees (etikprövningsnämnderna) regarding the vetting and approval of clinical trials. Read more »
PKU biobank not for police
2010-10-14
The Swedish Government has decided that the police will not get access to the PKU biobank. Through the bill 3 million blood samples will be kept from all criminal investigations, reports Riksdag & Departement. Read more »
Expert group declines investigation
2010-10-07
The expert group concerning research misconduct refuses to investigate an authorship dispute with the justification that authorship is not properly defined in Swedish law. (Läkartidningen).
Read more »
No funding for cheaters
2010-10-07
The Swedish Research Council has decided upon new rules concerning funding of people guilty of research misconduct.
Read more »
More: Opinion piece from VR (Svenska Dagbladet)
Plagiarism plagues India's science rep
2010-10-05
Transgenic aubergine still banned in India after encouraging report been discredited by plagiarism issues (Nature News).
Read more »
Research integrity: Sabotage!
2010-10-05
A postdoc destroyed the experiments of a colleague in order to get ahead. It took a hidden camera to expose this malicious side of science (Nature News). Read more »
Gene therapy scandal grows
2010-09-29
The number of articles being retracted from a research group in New York just grows (BioNews). Read more »
Adult stem cells as ethically problematic
2010-09-27
Hailed as a potential alternative to embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells raise their own ethical dilemmas, reports Scientific American. Read more »
Why are we copyrighting science?
2010-09-22
An important question gets asked by Varuni de Silva in an opinion piece (BMJ). Read more »
STAN-study cleared of misconduct
2010-09-21
Lund University after three years clears the researchers accused of research misconduct in a STAN study (Läkartidningen).
Read more »
Research misconduct worries listed company
2010-09-21
The case with a cheating professor in Gothenburg also affects a minor listed company that now ponders whether to give her the boot, writes Affärsvärlden. Read more »
Professor charged with grave misconduct
2010-09-20
Seldom has the misconduct group at VR spoken out with such fervor, as in the very last case brought to them (Läkartidningen). Read more »
Read report from the Swedish Research Council (VR)
Ties to industry not disclosed
2010-09-14
A new study have found that often even major industry funding is not disclosed to readers of medical journals (EurekAlert!).
Read more »
Misconduct investigation gone astray
2010-09-09
Anonymity and the possibility of web publishing means research misconduct investigations could take a turn for the worse (Nature). Read more »
Big apes banned from use in EU research
2010-09-09
Great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are to be banned in research while strict restrictions are set on the use of primates in general. Read more »
Appendix: Questions and answers on the new directive for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (European Union)
Vaccine's adverse effect kept secret?
2010-08-27
At least one Finnish researcher is facing massive critique after it has been revealed that suspicions were kept secret that the vaccine against swine flu might cause narcolepsy, writes Dagens Medicin. Read more »
Confidentiality threatened by subpoenas
2010-08-27
When doing research on the health effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the researcher had to face subpoenas from Exxon lawyers looking for personal information
of study subjects. Can litigation risk become an extreme burden on certain types of research? (Nature) Read more »
Ban reintroduced for schimpanzee research
2010-08-27
Another bill to ban invasive research on schimpanzees was recently introduced in the US senate, much to the dismay of some researchers (Science). Read more »
Pricey to investigate misconduct
2010-08-26
To investigate research misconduct might be very costly, but how should the impact of research misconduct really be measured (Nature). Read more »
Ruling against american stem cell research
2010-08-26
A federal court has ruled against President Obama's executive order allowing for more stem cell research (New York Times).
Read more »
Fight over authorship at Karolinska
2010-08-21
An infected dispute about proper criteria for authorship will now be handled by the expert group on misconduct. (Läkartidningen).
Read more »
Ethics expert from Harvard found cheating
2010-08-21
A well known expert on morality and cognition has been found guilty of eight instances of research misconduct (New York Times). Read more »
Plagiarizing professor says he will quit
2010-08-18
This summer, we again could read about a case of plagiarizm in media (Dagens Medicin). Read more »
Could publishing a paper make you a spy?
2010-07-29
This is fiercly discussed in the states where a chinese scientist is prosecuted after an article on pesticides. (Nature News).
Read more »
Climate researchers cleared of misconduct
2010-07-08
Now the last report from The Independent Climate Change Email Review
be read on the net.
Stem cell society confuses patients
2010-07-08
In a highly critical blog entry, Summer Johnson of Bioethics.net accuses the website of the International Society for Stem Cell Research of bringing on the therapeutic misconception.
Read more »
Journals to use plagiarism software
2010-07-06
Publishers including Elsevier and Springer are set to scan submitted papers for identical or paraphrased chunks of text that appear in previously published articles (Nature News).
Read more »
Potential ES cells replacement falls short
2010-06-18
A new EU study has found that iPS cells, believed to eliminate the concerns that surround the use of embryonic stem cells, do not have the same scope for use in some applications. Read more »
Gender must be put on the agenda
2010-06-10
Still male subjects dominate biomedical research studies. This short-changes women's health, writes Nature in a comment on new studies.
Read more »
Prisoners subject to interrogation research
2010-06-09
An american group relying on previously classified federal documents, is claiming that torture experimentation and research have been performed on detainees after the US terror attacks of 9/11. (Nature News). Read more »
Embryos not human, rules Korean high court
2010-06-04
Embryos that are less than 14 days from insemination have the potential to become a human being but have no independent humanity, the South Korean court ruled last week, BioEdge reports. Read more »
Ignored warnings of scientific misconduct
2010-05-31
A controversial scientist who is under misconduct investigation for making false claims in a paper ignored an earlier warning that he could face misconduct charges if the paper was published, Nature News reports. Read more »
Regulations increase cost for research
2010-05-31
Complex US regulations governing experiments with dangerous pathogens and toxins have reduced research efficiency, according to a new study, relates Nature News. Read more »
Ethical reviews criticised
2010-05-28
In a press release and a debate article, a group of surgeons criticise a decision in CEPN to not allow a study on patients with ruptured aortic aneurysm without consent. In a similar vein, the ethicist Mats G Hansson has criticised how ethical vetting sometimes hinder important research.
Read more »
Study reports often spin results
2010-05-28
In an article in JAMA, scientists show that the reporting and interpretation of findings frequently is inconsistent with the results, Dagens Medicin reports. Read more »
See further: The JAMA article
JO critical of National Defence College
2010-05-06
Researchers at the Swedish college destroyed basic data for the "Malmö report" to protect subjects' anonymity. JO is "very critical" and says that the handling was not in accord with basic guiding principles. Read more »
Dean resigns after misconduct case
2010-05-04
The story about a Professor at The Swedish National Defence College who was caught out plagiarizing continues, now the dean resigns because of the turbulence.
Dagens Nyheter comments on the story
WMA President arrested
2010-05-03
The president-elect of WMA has been arrested after bribe charges, reports Bioedge. He is well-known for leading work against doctors accepting inappropriate gifts. Read more »
EU to revise clinical trials directive
2010-04-28
After abunding critique the EU now admits that the directive on clinical trials has been deeply flawed. Now a revision is planned. Read more »
Rules & regulations threatens research
2010-04-27
In an editorial in CMAJ, the editors present their view that the number of rules and the bureaucracy that comes with them are threatening academic clinical trials which contribute to the public good. Read more »
Indian tribe questions gene research
2010-04-27
The researchers collected DNA for the study of diabetes, but also collected wider consent. But when the Havasupai realized that research are being performed that associates tribal genes with schizophrenia (a condition considered stigmatizing), and also research that contradicts traditional stories of origin, they felt betrayed, New York Times reports. Read more »
Would supressed study have altered reach?
2010-04-23
Researcher Thomas Hartung (from ECVAM), clearly thinks so. His research, unless supressed by the EU, would have changed the course of the chemical legislation, REACH, in Europe. Read more »
Protests against ape experimentation
2010-04-14
Members of Djurrättsalliansen caged themselves, dressed up as monkeys, on the Gustav Adolf square. This is one of several actions in protest against scientific experimentation performed by Smittskyddsinstitutet, Sydsvenskan writes.
Read more »
Closer to animal experimentation directive
2010-04-12
EU legislation to regulate the use of animals for scientific experiments has moved a step closer after Parliament and Council representatives reached an agreement on the final details of draft legislation in the pipeline. Read more »
Obama appoints new Bioethics Commission
2010-04-12
Now President Obama has appointed new members of his "Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues". Read more »
Opinion piece on ghostwriting
2010-04-08
In an opinion piece from Helsingborgs Dagblad, the writers say that the position of science is threatened by this phenomena.
Read more »
Gene patent dismissed
2010-03-31
It might get harder for companies to take patents on genes, after Myriad Genetics' two patents on breast cancer genes have been dismissed by a federal court in the US, Sveriges Radio reports. Read more »
Implementing EMF directive devastating
2010-03-23
The Directive on dangerous Electro-Magnetic Fields (EMF) threatens MRI research, the European Medical Research Councils warn in a fortcoming report.
Read more »
German scientist risks prison after fraud
2010-03-19
A German district court sentenced a well-known transplant surgeon to three years in prison for having committed fraud and blackmail, BMJ tell us. Read more »
Dagens Eko warps climate research interview
2010-03-09
In an opinion piece at the Newsmill, the radio news program Dagens Eko is accused of misstating what has been said about climate research by one of the leading members of the UN climate panel. Read more »
Swedish research funds more independent
2010-03-09
Now many research funds will become more independent of the Swedish state, when board members are to be appointed by others. Read more »
Fat rats skew research results
2010-03-04
Failure to recognize that many laboratory animals live unhealthy lives may be leading researchers to misinterpret their findings, potentially misdirecting efforts to develop theraputic drugs, writes Nature News. Read more »
KI head of research suspended
2010-03-04
After the Dean was found having tried to influence how research funding be distributed at KI, he was suspended from his commission, reports Dagens Nyheter. Read more »
Pain expert faces prison after research fraud
2010-03-03
BMJ News relates how a U.S. pain expert falsified medical studies over a period of 15 years. He has pleaded guilty and faces 10 years in prison, as well as having to pay large sums to cheated drug companies and being banned for life from being funded by the FDA. Read more »
Ombudsman probe EU work on animal research
2010-03-03
Following allegations of 'maladministration' by a lobby group opposed to all animal testing, the European Ombudsman has opened an investigation of the work by the European Commission. Read more »
Worst ever cheater?
2010-02-23
After having been (rightly) accused of fabricating data, the researcher hired actors to testify for him, posing as research subjects. When he won the case, he sued the state and university fo 4 million dollars, reports Ethics Newsline. Read more »
Update: The researcher has now been found dead (from Science Insider).
NIH support requires research ethics
2010-02-22
From January 25, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in certain cases requires that those receiving financial support for research also participate in research ethics education. This also applies to Swedish researchers doing human subjects research. An application must then include a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research. Read more »
Embryonic stem cells still vital
2010-02-16
In an article in the journal Stem Cells, Lanza and collegues write that induced pluripotent stem cells have problems and that embryonic stem cells still are of better quality. Read more »
New world congress on research integrity
2010-02-03
In July, the first world congress, in Lissabon 2007, is followed by a second conference, this time in Singapore, where policy makers from all over the world will gather to discuss better standars for science. Read more »
Are perfectly good articles blocked?
2010-02-03
According to the BBC News, stem cell experts claim a small group of scientists is effectively vetoing high quality science from publication in journals. Read more »
Are citations & impact good meausures?
2010-02-03
That is questioned in a recent BBC News column, and a warning of corrupt science is given. Read more »
Common with disregard for author rules
2010-01-27
Almost one in two of new doctorates in medicine claim that their articles include scholars as authors that according to the Vancouver rules should not be listed, Läkartidningen writes. Read more »
Fraud big problem in China
2010-01-25
After the reporting of many Chinese cases of fraud in research, calls for greater efforts to stop such behaviour is heard, writes Asia Times Online. Read more »
No more affirmative action at universities
2010-01-20
Now the Government stops the possibility of using affirmative action at Swedish universities, as it has proved to be unfair, argues Tobias Krantz. Read more »
A step closer to new animal testing directive
2009-12-09
New legislation regarding the use of animals for scientific experiments is nearer after Parliament and Council representatives reached an agreement of principle on the main issues., eGov Monitor reports. Read more »
Researcher quits because of interference
2009-12-09
Nature News announces that an Australian researcher quits after a funding body tried to make major changes to a controversial research paper. Read more »
Study halted because of fear of reprisals
2009-12-09
A study on baboons has been cancelled by the Oklahoma State University, because of worries that animal rights activists might respond with violent acts, reports Nature News. Read more »
EU-patent is closer
2009-12-07
The EU Competitiveness Council has agreed on a general approach to the draft Regulation on the EU patent. Read more »
Too many promises?
2009-12-01
ABC News reports that some stem cell scientists are worried they might not be able to live up to some of the promises that have been made about their work. Read more »
Senator investigates ghostwriting practices
2009-11-19
U.S. Senator Grassley has written to 10 top medical schools asking what they are doing about professors who put their names on ghostwritten articles in medical journals — and why that practice is any different from plagiarism by students, New York Times reports. Read more »
11 years to debar misconducting doctors
2009-11-12
In some instances, it has taken The US Food and Drug Administration up to 11 years to debar doctors who has been fund out engaging in misconduct or even crimes when doing research, a report from the US Government Accountability Office shows.
Read more »
Dishonest statement leads to accusations
2009-11-12
A UK researcher didn't get access to all data in a study funded by Procter & Gamble, but the published article stated that "all authors had full access to the data and analyses", BMJ informs.
Read more »
IBC will meet in Mexico
2009-11-10
At its 16th meeting, the International Bioethics Committee will discuss cloning and human vunerability. Working documents (reports) are to be found under IBC in the section 'rules and guidelines'. Read more »
Whistleblower got fired
2009-10-27
When dr Stratton had enough and blowed the whistle on dangerous cancer research she got fired, according to IRB Forum. Now many ask how common these ills are in the USA. Read more »
Hwang got a suspended sentence
2009-10-27
After a three-year trial, Hwang Woo-Suk, the South Korean stem cell researcher accused of criminal fraud and embezzlement was convicted of embezzling 830 million won ($705,000) in research funds and of illegally buying human eggs for his research. He will not, however, serve any time behind bars, writes The Scientist.
Read more »
New conflict rules
2009-10-15
Editors of some of the world's top medical journals will soon begin to demand more stringent, uniform reporting of conflicts of interest by researchers, says Wall Street Journal. Read more »
ISSCR to regulate stem cell therapeutics
2009-10-15
An international society is now moving towards a regulation of companies offering unproven stem cell therapies to patients, PHG Foundation reports. Read more »
Image manipulation on the rise
2009-10-14
Nature News reports that incidents of falsified images have jumped recently, something science journals now takes action against. Read more »
More than meets the RMI
2009-10-13
Philosopher Roger Scruton argues that neuroscience might lead to uninteresting conclusuíons, or even nonsense, in a recent Times Online piece.
Read more »
Commission supports nano-regulation
2009-10-13
The Parlament now gets a positive response to the call for a clear regulatory and policy framework on nanomaterials, EurActiv writes.
Read more »
Public Access to Genome-Wide Data
2009-10-13
Can individuals be identified through GWD? Should the publication of such data therefore be shut down? Since NIH and the Wellcome Trust recently draw those conclusions, the debate has raged on, here in an article from PLoS Genetics. Read more »
Retracts article by Iran's science minister
2009-09-30
Iranian researchers say to Nature, they are dismayed and angered that a 2009 paper coauthored by Kamran Daneshjou, Iran's science minister, appears to have plagiarized a 2002 paper published by South Korean researchers. Read more »
Did HIV-vaccine dump risk on to Thailand?
2009-09-25
In an article in The Guardian, the ethics of outsourcing trials to the developing world is questioned.
Read more »
Cysts halt Geron stem cell trial
2009-09-08
After recent tests that revealed the formation of cysts in some animal trail subjects, FDA has freeezed a trial, BioNews reports. Read more »
Disclosure not sufficient
2009-08-31
Disclosure of financial conflicts of interests to potential participants in research is important, but may have a limited role in managing these conflicts, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins, Duke and Wake Forest. Read more »
Greater animal use after REACH?
2009-08-26
Implementation of REACH legislation may require 54 million research animals and €9.5 billion over the next 10 years, which represents 20 times the number of animals and six times the cost anticipated in previous estimates, writes EurekAlert. Read more »
EU law 'putting brakes on science'
2009-08-25
EurActiv.com reports that, according to a leading academic, european rules on medical research have decimated academic studies due to spiralling insurance costs and bureaucracy.
Read more »
Should child donors have their say?
2009-08-24
Bioethicists argue for stricter rules at genetic repositories. A contested issue in Nature News with comments by Mats G. Hansson, Karen Maschke and others. Read more »
REACH misses nano!
2009-08-18
The EU's chemical regulagtion is not adepted to address nano materials, three researchers write in the paper Miljöforskning. Read more »
Ghostwriters pushed therapy
2009-08-06
Wyeth, a pharmaceutical company, paid a medical communications firm to draft scientific papers, apparantley to promote the sales of its hormone drugs, writes The New York Times. Read more
New GCP inspections initiative
2009-08-04
The European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration have agreed to launch a joint initiative to collaborate on international Good Clinical Practice (GCP) inspection activities. Read more »
Journal retracts artificial sperm paper
2009-08-03
The journal which published a startling paper claiming to have derived sperm cells from human embryonic stem cells has taken the radical step of retracting it because of plagiarism, BioEdge reports.
Read more »
NIH human stem cell research guidelines
2009-07-07
National Institutes of Health finally issues research guidelines, taking President Obama's executive order into account.
Read more »
EU legislation increases workloads
2009-06-25
A review of the effects of the legislation governing clinical trials in the European Union has backed up some researchers' complaints about the regulations, writes Nature News. Read more »
The Past, Present, and Future of Bioethics
2009-06-24
In this commentary, Susan Gilbert relates the 40-year history of the Hastings Center and asks what the future might bring.
Read more »
Hoax paper challenges Open Access
2009-06-17
Bentham published a nonsensical article in an OA journal - now the editor quits in protest, says Nature News. Read more »
Women underrepresented in cancer research
2009-06-10
According to a new review, women continue to be under-enrolled in most cancer clinical trials, reports EurekAlert! Read more »
'Outsourcing' clinical trials devastating?
2009-06-04
Canadian researchers studying the effects of a heart drug tried to expedite the experiment by farming out much of their clinical-trial work to developing countries, but the study results there turned out to be largely fraudulent, writes National Post. Read more »
How Many Fabricate and Falsify Research?
2009-06-01
In PLoS, Daniele Fanelli reports the first meta-analysis of surveys about misbehaviour. The results suggest that making up data is more frequent than previously thought. Read more »
Fight over biobank material continues
2009-05-28
When material is to be moved at the Umeå biobank, questions about confidentiality and rights return. Read more (in Swedish) »
Lawsuit challenges patenting of human genes
2009-05-28
Patents have been awarded on human genes for decades, but until last week, no one had directly challenged the underlying idea that genes can be owned in a U.S. court. Now, a challenge has begun, Science tells us. Read more »
Article retracted after 8 years
2009-05-28
In 2000 researchers published a diabetes studie showing great results for gene therapy. Now the journal retracts the article, reports Dagens Medicin. Read more (in Swedish) »
New research ethics library
2009-05-26
A new webpage on research ethics, Forskningsetisk bibliotek (FBIB), has over 60 newly written articles and case studies and movies too. FBIB is created by Norways Forskningsetiske komiteer. Read more »
OECD on research misconduct
2009-05-26
In a new report, OECD has included a guide for how to investigate allegations of research misconduct. Read more »
Should we conduct research on torture?
2009-05-18
Joshua Tucker, in his blog The Monkey Cage, asks himself that, and finds it a hard one to answer. Read more »
New law on secrecy and public documents
2009-05-13
The new law will be in force from June 30 2009. It is a rewrite of the Secrecy Act with the purpose of making the regulation easier to understand and use in practice. Read more »
One's ethics varies with time
2009-05-11
When a moral judgment concerns something near in time, the ethics suffers, according to a Psychology dissertation by Jens Agerström, Lund University.
Read more »
Researchers should share failed experiments
2009-05-11
In a commentary in the Economist on the proposed European rules governing animal experiments, the commission’s proposal that scientists who use animals should share data (subject to confidentiality) from failed experiments is lauded. Read more »
Public inquiry on clinical research completed
2009-05-11
The final report was presented recently. Read more »
Anger after EU vote
2009-05-06
After the vote on new EU animal research legislation, both those in favor and those against get angry, says Nature.
Read more »
See further: Link to the text adopted by the Parliament
Merck behind phony journal
2009-05-04
Merck has made up a phony, but real sounding, peer reviewed journal and published favorably looking data for its products in them.
Read more »
Stem cell research returns to South Korea
2009-04-30
South Korea has conditionally lifted a ban on stem cell research using human eggs, three years after outlawing the practice because a scientist was found to have faked his work, Google/AFP reports. Read more »
VR writes EU concerning animal directive
2009-04-29
The Swedish Research Council has, together with a number of other Swedish authorities and organisations, sent a letter to the 19 Swedish parlamentarians, concerning the new EU laboratory animal directive (that has been reported on in earlier news). Read more »
The Wild West of Nanotechnology
2009-04-29
In a field growing exponentially with minimal regulation, significant venture capital and government funding, and even more opportunity for professional advancement and financial gain, there is also opportunity for ethical missteps, cutting corners, cheating, and outright criminal activity to take place, writes Summer Johnson in her blog on bioethics.net. Read more »
Research misconduct: Science retracts article
2009-04-24
Science is retracting an 2005 article on the MAGIC method without the agreement of all authors.
Read more ».
Doctor has cloned human embryos?
2009-04-24
An american fertility expert claimes to have cloned 14 human embryos and to have implanted 11 in humans wishing to become mothers, Dagens Medicin reports. Read more »
'Phase 0' Trials to Speed Drug Development
2009-04-20
Through a new model of early drug testing, drugs may reach patients a lot faster, reports
Yahoo news. Read more »
Studio ett on whistleblowing
2009-04-16
In today's studio ett (P1) the focus was on the phenomenon of whistleblowing.
Listen to web radio (in Swedish) »
The EU seeks a global regulation of science
2009-04-07
In a new report to the Commission, it is urged, among other things, that scientists publish in open access journals and that the Commission works towards a global regulation of science. Read more »
Nigeria and Pfizer to settle
2009-04-06
Nigeria's Kano state and drugmaker Pfizer Inc have agreed the broad terms of an out-of-court settlement in a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit over a 1996 drug trial, reports Reuters. Read more »
Joy and anger over animal-research vote
2009-04-03
Researchers welcome the alteration of controversial parts of a draft European legislation on animal experimentation, writes Nature News. Read more »
Links: Webpage of the European Parliament and the proposed amendments
Law on medical devices amended
2009-04-03
Through a decision in the Swedish Riksdag the law has been amended to incorporate an EC directive among other things. Read more »
Open access stirs US debate
2009-04-01
When both NIH and MIT adopt open access policies, debate results, phg foundation reports. Read more »
The story of Dr. Leo and the journal
2009-03-24
A conflict between a "whistleblower" and the journal JAMA - told in Bioethics Discussion Blog - leads to question about academic freedom and the right way to handle accusations of ethical misconduct. Read more »
European clinical trial rules under fire
2009-03-18
European medical research strangled by red tape, scientists warn in a Nature news story. Read more »
Millions wasted by duplicating research
2009-03-16
The European Union is wasting billions by investing in new research projects which have already been done by other European scientists, Roland Strauss of Knowledge4Innovation told EurActiv in an interview. Improved communication between research institutes and better use of existing patents could lead to sizeable savings, he said. Read more »
New thesis on ambivalence in academia
2009-03-12
Anders Jörnesten, Uppsala University, Department of Sociology: Forskningens nytta: Om ambivalens i forskningspolitik och vardag. Read more »
Bioethics Briefing Book
2008-12-09
From Birth to Death and Bench to Clinic: The Hastings Center Bioethics Briefing Book for Journalists, Policymakers, and Campaigns contains 36 overviews of issues in bioethics of high public interest, such as abortion, health care reform, human and sports enhancement, organ transplantation, personalized medicine, medical error, and stem cells. The chapters, written by leading ethicists, are nonpartisan, presenting reasonable considerations from various perspectives that are grounded in good scientific and ethical facts. Read more »
EU says no to stem cell patents
2008-11-28
European patent law prohibits the patenting of human stem cell cultures whose preparation necessarily involves the destruction of human embryos. This is the decision reached by the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO).
Read more »
Link: European Patent Office: No European patent for WARF/Thomson stem cell application
Oxford bioethics centre comes under fire
2008-11-26
A UK philosopher has made a stinging attack on Julian Savulescu’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University. In an address to students at Oxford Professor David Oderberg, of the University of Reading, says that it should be radically reformed or closed. Read more »
European animal protection directive updated
EU is currently reworking its animal protection directive, the work can be followed on the EU webpage on laboratory animals. In the Commission proposal, Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, ethical review of animal research is made obligatory and the use of greater apes in research is prohibited.
Helsinki declaration revised
At the WMA General meeting in Seoul a revised version of the wellknown Helsinki declaration was adopted. It includes several minor changes, as well as a demand that all clinical trials be registred in a public database before inclusion of research subjects.
New journal: Bioethica Forum
Bioethica Forum, the Swiss Journal of Biomedical Ethics, was launched in June 2008. The first issue is freely available online at: http://www.bioethica-forum.ch. Bioethica Forum is a trilingual interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal focussing on issues in biomedical ethics, published by the Swiss Society for Biomedical Ethics.
Globethics - new portal for etics resources
Globethics.net is a global network of persons and institutions interested in different fields of applied ethics. It offers access to resources on ethics, especially through its leading global digital library on ethics. In addition, it facilitates collaborative web-based research, conferences, online publishing and active sharing of information.
Globethics.net aims especially at increasing the visibility of, and access to ethics perspectives from Africa, Latin America and Asia. It strengthens global common values and respect of ethical contextual diversity, including the richness of languages, religions and world views.
The latest news are published on the start page of CODEX!
Last update: 2012-02-06