Trial By Error: Yet Another Appeal to The Lancet, With More On Board
10 JULY 2018
By David Tuller, DrPH
Last month, Professor Racaniello sent Lancet editor Richard Horton
an open letter about the PACE trial signed by 94 scientists, clinicians, academics and other experts. The letter, a follow-up from
one sent in 2016, cited the study’s “unacceptable methodological lapses” and called for a fully independent investigation. Since Dr Horton has not responded, I re-sent him the letter earlier this evening (Monday, July 9, PST). In addition to more experts and ten members of the House of Commons, dozens of organizations from around the world are now also urging The Lancet to take prompt action.
The subject line of today’s e-mail:
Re-sending open letter about PACE, with additional signatories
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Dear Dr. Horton:
In February, 2011, The Lancet published an article called “Comparison of adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise therapy, and specialist medical care for chronic fatigue syndrome (PACE): a randomized trial.” [1] The article reported that two rehabilitative approaches, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET), were effective and safe treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome, also often referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis, ME/CFS and CFS/ME. The PACE study received international attention and has had widespread influence on research, treatments prescribed for patients, and attitudes toward the illness of both the medical community and the public at large.
At the press conference promoting the Lancet paper, one of the lead investigators
