Response from Wanda Jones re: FDA/NIH Paper

[dsdmom]

I wrote to Wanda Jones when we originally heard that the FDA/NIH paper would not be published. She responded today & gave me permission to post.

Hi xxxx,

Both the CDC and the NIH/FDA groups submitted research articles to separate journals for publication, and those journals have completed their respective peer-reviews. However, in the interest of scientific inquiry and collaboration across HHS, both groups of scientists agreed to conduct further assessments to investigate the discrepancies between their studies prior to publication. CDC completed their assessment and their paper was published in Retrovirology on July 1, 2010. The NIH/FDA study was further reviewed by the journal editor and currently awaits publication. Its release is controlled by the journal.

Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
Designated Federal Official--Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee
US Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. SW, Room 716G
Washington, DC 20201
Phone (main) 202 690 7694
Phone 202 260 4432
Fax 202 690 6960
Email wanda.jones@hhs.gov

--------------------------
Bold & Italics mine...I don't remember hearing that the CDC group also conducted 'further assessments.'

 

[caledonia]

If they did, it only took a day or so. Couldn't have been much of an assessment.

But anyway, that was nice of Wanda to get back with you.

 

[SOC]

The NIH/FDA study was further reviewed by the journal editor and currently awaits publication. Its release is controlled by the journal.
<snip>
I don't remember hearing that the CDC group also conducted 'further assessments.'

:victory: Yes! Good to hear directly from HHS. What a title, btw. "Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health" Are there Deputy Assistants other than the Principal one? Is a Deputy Assistant an assistant to an Assistant? Gotta love bureaucracies!

I think the journal is not going to be an obstacle. Does anyone have info to the contrary?

 

[taniaaust1]

I just got the same mail back from a email i sent 3 weeks back. It must be a standard mail they sent out (and still are sending out) in response.

"Hi Tanya,

Both the CDC and the NIH/FDA groups submitted research articles to separate journals for publication, and those journals have completed their respective peer-reviews. However, in the interest of scientific inquiry and collaboration across HHS, both groups of scientists agreed to conduct further assessments to investigate the discrepancies between their studies prior to publication. CDC completed their assessment and their paper was published in Retrovirology on July 1, 2010. The NIH/FDA study was further reviewed by the journal editor and currently awaits publication. Its release is controlled by the journal.


Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
Designated Federal Official--Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee
US Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave. SW, Room 716G
Washington, DC 20201
Phone (main) 202 690 7694
Phone 202 260 4432
Fax 202 690 6960
Email wanda.jones@hhs.gov"

 

[Cloud]

"Both the CDC and the NIH/FDA groups submitted research articles to separate journals for publication, and those journals have completed their respective peer-reviews. However, in the interest of scientific inquiry and collaboration across HHS, both groups of scientists agreed to conduct further assessments to investigate the discrepancies between their studies prior to publication. CDC completed their assessment and their paper was published in Retrovirology on July 1, 2010. The NIH/FDA study was further reviewed by the journal editor and currently awaits publication. Its release is controlled by the journal".


The focus of our emails to her were basically a request to have the NIH/FDA paper released. Her response delicately eludes DHHS responsibility for holding the paper back and for decisions on it's release. Without reading her response closely, one may be left with the impression that the journal, not the DHHS, was responsible for these actions. According to one of our trusted journalists, this is not what happened. I guess it doesn't really matter as long as we get the paper published intact.