How a tiny circle of repeat offenders poisoned 100s of gold-standard medical trials for over a decade… and didn’t go to jail.

In a recent study, researchers set out to investigate how many retracted randomized clinical trials were linked to superretractors (authors with the most retractions) and to highly cited authors with multiple retractions.

They found that just 6 superretractors were co-authors on 22% of all retracted clinical trials studied, 5 were based in Japan, and 1 was from Germany. Also, a group of 18 top-cited scientists were involved in 25% of all retracted trials. The retractions were highly concentrated in specific areas like anesthesiology, endocrinology and metabolism.[…]

To become a superretractor, first, a researcher must produce large volumes of unreliable, duplicate, or fabricated work, often fueled by the publish or perish system of academia that rewards output over rigor and lacks strong oversight. Second, that misconduct has to be uncovered through investigation and exposure.

Superretractors can also act as superspreaders of contaminated research. When flawed or fabricated trials enter systematic reviews and meta-analyses, they are amplified and woven into widely used evidence summaries. By the time a study is retracted, it has often already shaped these studies referenced for developing clinical guidelines that doctors rely on. The result is a cascade of distorted evidence that can translate into incorrect, even harmful, decisions in patient care.