The Olivieri Debacle: Where Were the Heroes of Bioethics?

What is this about?

This is a factual case about a blood researcher that is pressured by a pharmaceutical company to not share any details on their clinical trial, which was terminated after the drug was suggested to be ineffective and maybe even harmful for the patients. The researcher received no support from the institution she was working for. The institution was later shown to have a conflict of interest. The article especially emphasizes the lack of action by the bioethical community in this case.

Why is this important?

Publication of clinical trial results is important, especially if the drug under investigation is potentially harmful to the patients. If the pharmaceutical company tries to force the researcher to do otherwise, the institution should intervene and try to support its employee, even if this means that the institution receives no funding from the company. Similarly, the local bioethical community should offer support as well. The example at hand shows that the consequences if this is not the case: it may endanger the research integrity and both the patients' and researchers’ health.