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  • Lessons learnt on transparency, scientific process and publication ethics. The short story of a long journey to get into the public domain unpublished data, methodological flaws and bias of the Cochrane HPV vaccines review

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Lessons learnt on transparency, scientific process and publication ethics. The short story of a long journey to get into the public domain unpublished data, methodological flaws and bias of the Cochrane HPV vaccines review
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  • Published on: 25 March 2019
    Cochrane: More transparency deficits
    • Stefanie Schenk, physician/editorial staff arznei-telegramm (independent drug information bulletin)

    Dear Sir or Madam

    With interest I read your letter concerning the Cochrane HPV vaccines review. However the result for all high-risk HPV-associated CIN 2+ in the “per protocol” analysis of only 16.9% was presented by the German independent drug bulletin arznei-telegramm in September 2008 already (1). At that time the underlying VBPAC background document could be accessed easily on the homepage of the FDA. Currently you can still find it there in the archived content (2).

    The way Cochrane handled your comments are consistent to our experiences: On 25 April 2018 I sent a comment on the updated Cochrane Review "Interventions for emergency contraception", published in Issue 8, 2017 (3). Without presenting any new data the authors had changed their conclusion about the effectiveness of ulipristal acetate (UPA) from “UPA may be more effective than LNG” (= levonorgestrel) in the former version (published 2012) to “UPA was more effective than levonorgestrel” in the actual review. This was based on a new approach to the comparison of UPA versus LNG which was neither discussed nor even mentioned: In the updated review the analysed time elapsed since unprotected intercourse had been extended from 72 hours to 120 hours. There are, however, good reasons to prefer the time window of 72 hours: The risk of pregnancy is significantly lower if LNG is administered within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse than if it is given later than this (3) and in Europe as well...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.
  • Published on: 25 March 2019
    Cochrane fails to respond

    I also submitted a criticism online about the review. While I have had email assurances from David Tovey that my contribution would be considered I have yet to hear anything at all.

    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.