FDA Letters about
Improper Research
Human research involving products regulated by the FDA must follow stringent guidelines. All such studies must be monitored by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) whose function is to assure the protection of the rights and welfare of the human subjects. IRBs are not required to register with the FDA, but investigators must submit a form to the FDA that includes the name and address of the IRB for their study. This enables the FDA—should it choose to do so—to conduct inspections to determine whether the research is being properly conducted and monitored. In recent years, some manufacturers and "alternative" practitioners have created IRBs and/or sponsored research in order to pretend that what they offer is part of a legitimate research project. This page indexes documents in which the FDA or an IRB issued a warning, termination letters, or other notice related to inappropriate research.
IRB Letters
- Charles H. Farr, MD, PhD (6/2/97): International Bio-Oxidative Medicine Foundation
- L. Terry Chappell, MD (3/9/00): Great Lakes College of Clinical Medicine
- Anne O'Connell (7/11/07): Nevada Institutional Review Board
- Darren McDaniel (3/11/08): Coast Institutional Review Board
- Fred Lam, MD (11/13/08): American Association of Acupuncture and Bio-Energetic Medicine
- W. John Martin, MD, PhD (10/19/09: MI Hope Inc. dba Center for Complex Infectious Diseases
Investigator Letters
- Chaovanee Aroonsakul, MD (10/16/01): Improper use of growth hormone for Alzheimer's disease
- Columbia University Health Science:
- Jerry I. Jacobson, DDS, DMD (1/25/01): "Resonance" device study
- Lenox Hill Hospital (11/8/06): Dr. Arthur Krigsman's unauthorized research on autistic children
- Trent Nichols, MD (2/24/05): Magnetic Molecular Energizer study
- Lloyd A. Shabazz, MD (2/23/01): Cancer treatment studies
- Richie C. Shoemaker, MD (5/13/04): Improper human study with veterinary drug
- William A. Shrader, Jr., MD (4/4/01): Enzyme potentiated desensitization study
- Jerald L. Tennant, MD (2/15/05): Scenar device
- University of Arizona (6/22/07): Failure of Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., to maintain privacy of experimental subjects.
- Charles Wallach / Bioenergy (6/7/02): Illegal commercial promotion and misleading claims made for a Pap-Imi device.
Letters to Sponsors
- KSM, Inc / Raymond F. Burgert, Jr. (3/14/07): Electromagnetic Treatment Device (ETD)
Debarment Orders
Additional Information
- FDA Guidance for Institutional Review Boards and Clinical Investigators
- "Research" Associated with the Promotion of Questionable Theories, Products, and Services
This page was revised on December 30, 2009.