A study that promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 has officially been withdrawn by Elsevier, the publisher of the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. The retraction was issued after an investigation found multiple issues with the study’s methodology and conclusions.
Concerns were raised regarding the study’s adherence to publishing ethics policies and the conduct of research involving human participants. Specifically, the journal could not confirm whether patients involved in the study received treatment before obtaining ethical approval. Additionally, the researchers were unable to establish equipoise between treatment and control groups, a crucial concept in medical research.
The Association of Healthcare Journalists defines equipoise as “genuine uncertainty within the expert medical community about the preferred treatment.” The retraction notice also stated that the journal could not confirm whether subjects provided informed consent for receiving azithromycin as part of the study, despite its potential benefits when used with hydroxychloroquine.
The original authors of the study expressed concerns over the presentation and interpretation of results, stating they no longer wish to be associated with the article. However, other authors dispute the retraction and disagree with the grounds for it. The French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics described the study as “scientific misconduct” marked by data manipulation and bias.
The controversy surrounding this study highlights the importance of upholding publishing ethics policies and ensuring that medical research is conducted with integrity. This withdrawal serves as a reminder of the need for rigorous review and scrutiny in scientific research.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/hydroxychloroquine-covid-treatment-journal-study-retracted