The Ministers of Health and Research seized the Public Prosecutor of Marseille following the publication of an administrative report which speaks of “serious dysfunctions of IHU”.
Le Monde with AFP
In view of a new overwhelming report, published on Monday September 5 on Marseille on Monday, September 5, when this scientific institute was under the direction of Professor Didier Raoult, the Ministers of Health and Research seized justice .
This final administrative report “highlights serious dysfunctions of IHU” and “several elements” are likely to constitute crimes or serious shortcomings to health or research regulations “, declare on Monday the Ministers François Braun and Sylvie Retailleau in a joint press release. They specify having seized the public prosecutor of Marseille.
In the light of this document, the ministers point to “certain inappropriate medical and scientific practices widespread” within the Institut Hospital-Universitaire Méditerranée infection (IHU-MI) created in 2011, and led by Professor Didier Raoult until ‘At the end of August.
are pointed out practices “not respecting regulations and which can generate a health risk for patients, especially during research protocols”, “drifts in management practices, which can generate harassment and discomfort at work “,” Drifts in governance, which does not strictly respect the rules framing the foundations of scientific cooperation “, specifies the press release. A gradual degradation of the establishment’s financial situation is also mentioned.
“Molecules administered outside their marketing authorization”
The final report of the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) and its counterpart for higher education and research (IGESR) covers a wider field than a previous report, already scathing, published there is A few months by the Medicines Agency (ANSM). Extracts from its preliminary version had been disclosed in early July by Provence and Mediapart . Among other practices “likely to be a criminal qualification”, the Igas-Igesr inspectors note that patients neat at IHU for COVID-19 or tuberculosis were administered “molecules outside their marketing authorization “.
The Ministers of Health and Research “will soon convene the leaders of the founding establishments and the director of Ihu-Mi” so that they implement “as soon as possible a proactive action plan taking into account All of the recommendations made by the two inspections, “said the press release. “The full compliance with the action plan and the regulations in force will be subject to regular checks on the part of the two ministries, and will condition the continuation of the activity of the IHU-MI and its financing by the State “, they warn.
Since the 1 er September, the IHU is piloted by a new director: Pierre-Edouard Fournier, a specialist in infectious diseases from the institution, who supported his thesis under the direction Professor Raoult.