Virology Blog post, 13 August, 2018: Trial By Error: Open Letter to The Lancet, version 3.0, by David Tuller, DrPH

Two months ago, Professor Racaniello sent Lancet editor Richard Horton an open letter about the indisputable methodological and ethical failings of the PACE trial. This was a follow-up to Virology Blog’s 2016 open letter to Dr. Horton; the new one detailed what has happened since then. Last month, I re-sent and reposted this new open letter, with organizations also signed on. Given Dr Horton’s persistent defense of a study in which 13 % of the participants had already met a key outcome threshold at baseline, it is not surprising that he has failed to respond.

Yesterday I sent the letter to The Lancet for the third time, with more individual experts and organizations adding their voices to the demand for a reassessment of the reported PACE findings. For reasons only Dr Horton can explain, he appears determined to undermine his journal’s reputation for scientific integrity with his robust support for a trial that objective observers clearly recognize as a piece of crap. PACE has caused great harm to the patient community. Dr Horton’s refusal to take appropriate corrective action has amplified that harm many times over. He and his journal have a lot to answer for.

Signed now by 114 experts, 10 MPs and 71 patient and advocacy organisations, including WAMES.

Podcast: TWiV Special: David Tuller is PACEman, 17 Aug 2018

David Tuller returns to provide an update of his investigative work to
expose the methodological and ethical problems with the PACE trial for
ME/CFS.

Host: Vincent Racaniello        Guest: David Tuller