Tag: fraud

Prescription Drugs

Department of Justice prioritizes prosecution of clinical trial fraud, but systemic reform is needed

The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced it is aggressively pursuing clinical trial fraud, where unethical players create fictional trial participants, steal the drugs under study, and fabricate results. But systemic reform of the clinical drug trial system is needed to halt those who endanger public safety with bogus trials.

/ January 13, 2022
Ivermectin repurposing

Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, take 6: Incompetence and fraud everywhere!

Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine, a drug repurposed for COVID-19 that almost certainly doesn't work but is still being touted as a "miracle cure" by quacks, grifters, and political ideologues. Are the data supporting it all fraud?

/ October 11, 2021

COVID-19 vaccine rollout creates new scamming opportunities for crooks

As new COVID-19 vaccines become available to the public, swindlers are adjusting their cons to fit the moment, even going door-to-door to peddle their scams.

/ December 17, 2020
COVID-19 vs. FDA and CDC

The Top COVID-19 Hucksters and Grifters…so far

It wouldn't be a health crisis without those that want to profit from it.

/ October 29, 2020

Scientific Fraud in China

There is a systemic problem with fraud in Chinese medical science. The problem goes all the way to the top.

/ November 27, 2019

Generic Drugs and Global Deception

Generic drugs are supposed to be equivalent to brand-name drugs, but all too often they are defective. Katherine Eban's book shows that corrupt overseas manufacturers have committed intentional global fraud. The system is broken and the FDA lacks the power to correct abuses.

/ September 3, 2019

An HBO Documentary about the Theranos Fraud Raises Concerns

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos to develop a device that could do 200 tests on a single drop of blood in a minute. She lied; it failed; she is being tried for fraud and conspiracy. The HBO documentary The Inventor tells the story but has some flaws. We can learn lessons from what happened.

/ March 26, 2019

TIC’D OFF

Two years ago we discussed the TicTocStop, a dental appliance that the inventors assured us would help mitigate the symptoms of Tourette Syndrome. In the intervening years things have...not gone well. This illustrates the need for skepticism regarding questionable medical claims, and the importance of initiatives like AllTrials to ensure the good, the bad, and the ugly research is available to everyone.

/ May 4, 2018

Faking Peer-Review

A major cancer journal just retracted 107 papers for faking peer-review, bringing the total for that publisher to 450. How did this happen, and how do we prevent it in the future?

/ April 26, 2017

Curse Removal from the Annals. More Acupuncture Nonsense.

A short post this week. Last weekend was a busy call weekend and as I type this I am heading for Palm Springs for a long weekend of hiking in the desert. If there is no entry in 14 days, look for my bleached bones somewhere in Joshua Tree. Some observations about a recent article in the once-respected Annals of Internal Medicine,...

/ February 5, 2016