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#LancetGate and its broader implications for the pandemic response and science dissemination


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Carlos Chaccour, ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona

On May 22, 2020, the Lancet published an influential report on the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID conducted using a vast database owned by a company based in Chicago: Surgisphere. The world counted more than 300.000 deaths due to the Pandemic at that time. The paper had an immediate impact on more than 131 clinical trials with this molecule ongoing worldwide at the moment, including the WHO-led SOLIDARITY trial which put its hydroxychloroquine arm on hold due to safety concerns. The main issue, of course, is that the data was fraudulent. Hydroxychloroquine would finally be discarded as a potential treatment after failing randomized clinical trials. But the broader impact of the surgisphere “database” exceeded hydroxychloroquine and shaped the pandemic response in several latinamerican countries. In this talk we will review the story of what is now known as the #LancetGate scandal.


Carlos Chaccour a results-oriented global health researcher that finds joy in looking at challenges from different angles. He is interested in the whole spectrum of problem solving, from discovery to scale-up and believes that open-minded multidisciplinary teams are key to innovation. Carlos thinks that scientists should be well versed on the complexities of policy, funding and implementation if they are to come up with sustainable solutions. He currently focuses on malaria but enjoys the full spectrum of global health.

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