AR-News: Parker Hughes founder rebuts reports about chimp deaths

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From:  Primfocus 
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 7:24 PM
Subject: primfocus: Parker Hughes founder rebuts reports about chimp deaths


Parker Hughes founder rebuts reports
      Glenn Howatt and Maura Lerner 
      Star Tribune 
      Published 03/16/2004
      http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4666140.html

     

The founder of the Parker Hughes Institute in Roseville defended his research and criticized the Star Tribune at a news conference Monday.

Dr. Fatih Uckun accused the newspaper of misrepresenting his research in an article published Sunday. The newspaper reported that Uckun withheld information about the death of three chimpanzees in safety tests of a drug he developed to treat HIV and leukemia. He and other researchers reported that the drug caused no serious side effects in the tests, even though federal investigators found it was responsible for the deaths.

Uckun called Sunday's article "another example of the fraudulent journalism and misrepresentation of the true facts." Uckun, who also founded the Parker Hughes Cancer Center, said Monday that he would hold more news conferences to defend his actions, and he said he is exploring other options.

        
     
     
     
      Star Tribune 
Star Tribune Editor Anders Gyllenhaal said the Sunday story "was an important and thoroughly reported article on this research case, based on comments from many involved in the study, including Dr. Uckun himself. His criticisms on Monday do not change the facts of this case."

The paper reported that the chimp deaths were not mentioned in a medical journal article by Uckun and his colleagues, or in a recent drug patent citing the chimp testing. In both cases, the tests were held up as evidence of the drug's safety. 

Uckun has said he didn't need to mention the chimp deaths in the journal article. He said that one chimp died from anesthesia, not the drug, and that the other two died after getting high doses of the drug as part of a different study. 

The paper also reported that the drug, called TXU-PAP, was also tested in humans. The story said that patients signed consent forms stating the side effects. At the news conference, Uckun said the paper didn't adequately report that patients were warned of the risk. 

In December, the newspaper reported that the cancer center's patients were subjected to unnecessary tests, that terminally ill patients were given false hope, that insurers were overbilled and that Uckun allegedly demanded financial contributions from suppliers in the form of donations to the nonprofit clinic and institute. He has denied the allegations. He and other clinic physicians are under investigation by the state Board of Medical Practice.
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