France: the government seizes justice on the IHU of Marseille directed by Didier Raoult
French medicine professor Didier Raoult pictured during an international symposium on Covid-19 at the Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases IHU in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday March 30, 2022. AFP - NICOLAS TUCAT
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The Ministers of Health and Research took legal action on Monday, September 5 in view of a new report on the Marseille IHU, which confirms "
serious malfunctions
" when this scientific institute was under the direction of Professor Didier Raoult.
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A final administrative report, published Monday, September 5, "
highlights serious malfunctions of the IHU
", and "
several elements
" are "
likely to constitute offenses or serious breaches of the regulations in terms of health or research.
“, declare the ministers François Braun and Sylvie Retailleau in a joint press release.
They specify that they have seized the public prosecutor of Marseille.
In the light of this document, the ministers denounce "
certain widespread inappropriate medical and scientific practices
" within the Institut hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée infection (IHU-MI), created in 2011 and directed by Professor Didier Raoult until the end of August.
Practices "
not complying with the regulations and which may generate a health risk for patients, in particular during research protocols
", "
deviations in management practices, which may generate harassment and ill-being at work
", "
Drifts in governance, which does not strictly respect the rules governing the foundations of scientific cooperation
", specifies the press release.
A gradual deterioration in the institution's financial situation is also mentioned.
The final report of the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (Igas) and its counterpart for higher education and research (IGESR) covers a wider field than a previous report, already scathing, published a few months ago by the National Medicines Agency (ANSM).
Extracts from its preliminary version were released in early July by
La Provence
and Mediapart.
Among other practices “ likely
to fall under criminal qualification
”, the Igas-IGESR inspectors note that patients treated at the IHU for Covid-19 or tuberculosis were administered “
molecules outside their authorization to placing on the market
”.
The Ministers of Health and Research "
will shortly convene the leaders of the founding establishments and the director of the IHU-MI
" so that they implement "
as soon as possible a proactive action plan taking into account the full recommendations made by the two inspections
,” the statement said.
"
Full compliance with the action plan and the regulations in force will be subject to regular checks by the two ministries, and will condition the continuation of the activity of the IHU-MI and its funding by the State
,” they warn.
Since September 1, the IHU has been led by a new director: Pierre-Edouard Fournier, an infectious disease specialist from the institution, who defended his thesis under the supervision of Professor Raoult.
(With AFP)
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