Please support the most well-known Danish medical scientist, Professor Peter C. Gøtzsche
Scientific freedom, honesty and integrity are constantly under attack, particularly in healthcare, which is dominated by the drug industry and other economic interests. Professor Peter C. Gøtzsche has shown in his research that the results of this is that our prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer (1), and that the use of psychiatric drugs does more harm than good (2).
The donations will be used to cover legal costs and to support a new Institute for Scientific Freedom in order to allow Peter to carry on with his work for the benefit of the patients.
Peter was expelled on 13 September 2018 from the Cochrane Collaboration, a grassroots organisation publishing systematic reviews of the benefits and harms of healthcare interventions, after a show trial conducted by the Cochrane Governing Board. Peter was elected to the Board in January 2017 with the most votes of all 11 candidates, although he was the only one who criticised the Cochrane leadership in his election statement.
Peter’s expulsion was the result of a power struggle between two factions. One – led by Cochrane’s CEO – opposes open scientific debates on the quality and reliability of Cochrane reviews and emphasises «brand» and «business» rather than getting the science right. The other – led by Peter – wants to bring Cochrane back to its core values: Free scientific debate; no financial conflicts of interests for authors of Cochrane reviews in relation to the companies whose products they evaluate; and openness, transparency, democracy and cooperation. The affair has been extensively covered in leading journals, including Science, Nature, BMJ and Lancet.
Although Cochrane’s own hired law firm exonerated Peter of all charges the Board had raised against him, he was nonetheless expelled, and his hospital added insult to injury be announcing that he will be fired, for no good reason.
Peter is the only Dane who has published over 70 papers in the “big five” (BMJ, Lancet, JAMA, NEJM and Annals). He continues his fight for scientific freedom and has hired a top lawyer to help him avoid being fired, and to help him sue for damages in case he gets fired.
On 9 March 2019, Peter will open a new Institute for Scientific Freedom in Copenhagen, supported by international peers. The meeting announcement can be found here: http://www.deadlymedicines.dk/.
On 16 November 2018, John Ioannidis wrote to the Danish Minister of Health: “I am a tenured professor at Stanford University and the current rate of citations of my work in the scientific literature (>3,000 times per month) is the highest among all physicians in the world and among the 10 highest across all scientists in the world. I have unconditional admiration for Peter Gøtzsche. Peter is undoubtedly a giant, one of the greatest scientists of our times and one of the most influential, impactful, and useful voices in medicine at large. I cherish enormously his contributions … Ousting Peter from the Rigshopitalet damages the reputation of Denmark as a free country. Conversely, supporting him will demonstrate forcefully that not all is lost for human dignity. I trust that you will decide not to be on the wrong part of history and that you will take pride that your ministry continues to support one of the greatest investigators of our times.”
Peter R. Breggin MD and Ginger Breggin, International Center for the Study of Patient-Oriented Psychiatry write: “Peter Gøtzsche MD is a hero of science and medicine, one of the brave few in history to stand up for scientific truth and freedom rather than for professional and industrial interests. If the Pharmaceutical Empire and professional avarice can stop this honorable man’s work, it will intimidate physicians and scientists throughout the world, greatly setting back genuine scientific inquiry and reform in research and in services. Contributing to Peter Gøtzsche’s lifetime work at this moment in time is a contribution to the future of medical and scientific freedom. They have billions of dollars, but we have Peter Gøtzsche and other brave reformers—and we have right on our side. Contributing to Dr. Gøtzsche’s fund is something you can be proud of, knowing that it will bring positive results for humankind!”
Peter has opened a bank account to support his legal costs. Any surplus will be used to support the work of the new institute. The account will be monitored by outside accountants.
You can donate by using IBAN Account number DK5867710005437934 with swiftcode LAPNDKK1 (Laegernes Bank). Danes can use 67715437934.
1 Gøtzsche PC. Deadly medicines and organised crime: How big pharma has corrupted health care. London: Radcliffe Publishing; 2013.
2 Gøtzsche PC. Deadly psychiatry and organised denial. Copenhagen: People’s Press; 2015.
FUENTE: https://www.gofundme.com/scientific-freedom
