Mass. Doctor Who Faked Studies Claimed Effexor Kills Pain

Last week I wrote about the case of Scott Reuben, a well-regarded Massachusetts anesthesiologist, who was outed by Anesthesiology News over publishing at least 21 studies where he faked data and committed publication forgery. The various journals where his work was published are in the process of retracting the studies.

It will be interesting to learn if a 2004 study Reuben published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management will be among the retracted studies. In it, Reuben claimed that Effexor was effective at reducing post-operative pain in breast cancer patients--Reuben's research mostly focused on management of post-op pain--and that patients should be given it the night before surgery and for a period of time thereafter. An abstract of the article is here and I can find no notice on the journal's website that the study is in question, but I'd think it would have to be as it is making some very lofty claims for Effexor's pain management efficacy.

Rueben's faked studies centered on the use of non-opiods in pain management and included drugs like Celebrex, Bextra and Lyrica. He also wrote positively of Vioxx, a drug that like Bextra has since been pulled from the market due to increased stroke and heart attack risks.

Reuben's studies reportedly were quite influential in anesthesiology.

Rueben's attorney told the AP:

"'Dr. Reuben deeply regrets that this happened,' his attorney, Ingrid Martin, said. 'Dr. Reuben cooperated fully with the peer review committee [at his hospital]. There were extenuating circumstances that the committee fairly and justly considered.'"

I wonder what the extenuating circumstances for faking data might be.