- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/11/us-drugs-dendreon-provenge-idUSBRE89A15420121011
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/30/us-provenge-idUSBRE82T07420120330
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Sharon Begley
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
October 11 and March 30
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The prostate-cancer vaccine Provenge has been widely hailed as the first therapy for cancer to harness the human immune system, promising a true cure for this dreaded disease. New analyses as well as unpublished data suggest otherwise: the manufacturer’s claims that the vaccine improved men’s survival is based on the fact that in the clinical trial men receiving the control treatment died at exceptionally high rates. As one expert put it, a great way to make your drug look good is “to kill your control group.”
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
scientific papers, FOIA’d Food and Drug Administration documents
Explain types of human sources used.
physicians, statisticians, journal editors, company officials, outside scientists
Results:
n/a
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
n/a
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Compare the reported results of a clinical trial for a new medication to the original description of the trial. In the case of Provenge, a seemingly minor change the statistical analysis made the vaccine seem much more effective than does the original statistical analysis.