FDA probe looks into unauthorized herpes vaccine research
The criminal investigation examines research by a Southern Illinois University professor who injected people with his unauthorized herpes vaccine.
The criminal investigation examines research by a Southern Illinois University professor who injected people with his unauthorized herpes vaccine.
"This researcher went rogue," said Fernandez Lynch, the lawyer who specializes in medical ethics. "When one of their own goes rogue, a university should launch an aggressive investigation, interview the participants and make sure it never happens again."
The government officials contend that researchers did not officially seek permission for the trial, which took place from April to August 2016.
Neither the Food and Drug Administration nor a safety panel known as an institutional review board, or an “IRB,” monitored the testing of a vaccine its creators say prevents herpes outbreaks.
The FDA does more than screen for drug safety and efficacy; it also protects the public against sensational and unproven claims. It's a reality underscored by an intriguing herpes vaccine company charting its own regulatory course.