A Massachusetts anesthesiologist has been accused of faking data for a dozen years in 21 published studies that suggested after-surgery benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex.
Dr. Scott Reuben, who is on leave from Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, studied the use of several drugs to relieve pain and speed recovery after surgery.
The hospital said a routine review in May found that some of Reuben's research was not approved by an internal hospital review board. Further investigation found 21 papers published in anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008 in which Reuben made up some or all data. Hospital officials said Reuben did not admit to the fabrications. The doctor couldn't be reached for comment.
"Dr. Reuben deeply regrets that this happened," said his attorney, Ingrid Martin. "Dr. Reuben cooperated fully with the peer review committee. There were extenuating circumstances that the committee fairly and justly considered."
The hospital asked the journals to retract the studies, some of which reported favorable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra, Celebrex and Lyrica and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. His studies also claimed Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a painkiller.
Vioxx and Bextra — among a class of painkillers known as Cox-2 inhibitors — were pulled from the market amid mounting evidence they raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death. Celebrex is the only Cox-2 inhibitor still on the market. Lyrica is a treatment for fibromyalgia.
Pfizer gave Reuben five research grants between 2002 and 2007. He also was a member of the company's speakers bureau, giving talks about Pfizer drugs to colleagues.
Pfizer said in a statement it was "not involved in the conduct of any of these independent studies or in the interpretation or publication of the study results."
The investigation was first reported by the trade publication, Anesthesiology News.
Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.
