The Metropolis College of New York is pausing its investigation into a college member, an Alzheimer’s researcher accused of misconduct, the college mentioned in a press release on Friday.
Research by the neuroscientist, Hoau-Yan Wang, underpin an Alzheimer’s drug in superior medical trials. The drug, simufilam, is made by Cassava Sciences, a pharmaceutical firm based mostly in Texas. Dr. Wang steadily collaborated with Lindsay H. Burns, the corporate’s chief scientist.
“As a result of questions concerning the confidentiality and integrity of this investigation have been raised, CUNY will keep the underlying inquiry into the allegations concerning Dr. Wang’s analysis till such time because the College completes a complete investigation of the method,” the college mentioned.
Dr. Wang didn’t reply to a request for remark.
“Since September 2021, Cassava Sciences has been ready for a dependable and credible investigation from CUNY,” Remi Barbier, Cassava’s founder and chief government, mentioned in an electronic mail. “We’re nonetheless ready.”
From the beginning, some scientists have been skeptical of simufilam’s purported mode of motion and later of Cassava’s studies of enhancements amongst its medical trial members. Following accusations in 2021 that Dr. Wang and Cassava could have manipulated information, the Securities and Trade Fee and the Nationwide Institutes of Well being started investigating the analysis.
A committee convened by CUNY additionally started an investigation into Dr. Wang’s work and his lab’s funds over 20 years.
On Oct. 12, the journal Science made public a draft of the committee’s report, which concluded that Dr. Wang was “reckless” in his failure to maintain or present unique information, an offense that “quantities to important analysis misconduct.” (The investigators additionally concluded that Dr. Burns was chargeable for errors in a number of the papers.)
CUNY declined to touch upon the doc on the time however mentioned it could formally launch the report this month. Since then, critics have questioned the objectivity of the investigators and the veracity of their descriptions of Dr. Wang’s responses to the inquiry.
On Friday, the college declined to touch upon these allegations past its official assertion.
“In step with its coverage, CUNY is not going to touch upon the accuracy of the investigation referenced within the articles as a result of no closing motion as to this investigation has been taken,” the assertion mentioned.
“CUNY is dedicated to making sure that its investigative processes are held to the very best procedural and moral requirements and that the equity of the proceedings is preserved for all events,” the college added. “To that finish, any discovering concerning allegations of analysis misconduct should be dependable and credible.”
