OPEN LETTER TO THE LANCET was sent today.
Please see a copy of letter below.
February 13, 2016
Dr. Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief
THE LANCET
125 London Wall
London, EC2Y 5A5
Dear Dr. Horton:
In the Lancet’s mandate, it states “At the heart of The Lancet are core editorial values that underpin its commitment: With a voice for all people When you publish with The Lancet you’re joining a community that believes that everyone has the right to the highest attainable standard of health and that care should be equitable and just.”
The National ME/FM Action Network is a Canadian registered charitable organization for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (ME/CFS and FM). We represent the Canadian ME/CFS and FM people and we feel that you are not speaking for those ill with ME/CFS and FM, although your mandate says otherwise.
In February 2011, The Lancet published an article called “Comparison of adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and graded exercise therapy” This was an unblinded trial for treating ME/CFS (PACE), a randomized trial. The article stated it was an effective treatment for ME/CFS.
An open letter was sent to you on November 13, 2015 by Vincent R. Racaniello, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology together with five of his colleagues. This letter was resent to you on February 10, 2016 with 36 additional signatories of leading scientists and researchers requesting that an independent re-analysis of the individual-level PACE trial data be done by highly respected reviewers with extensive expertise in statistics and study design. It should be completely independent of, and have no conflicts of interests involving the PACE investigators and the funders of the trial and be outside the domains of psychiatry and psychological medicine.
It is important for The Lancet to have an unbiased voice and by not obtaining an independent analysis of the data of the PACE trial, it does not live up to its commitment and mandate for furthering science and the ME/CFS and FM communities.
Sincerely
NATIONAL ME/FM ACTION NETWORK
Lydia E. Neilson, MSM
Chief Executive Officer.
