[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57337-57338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19850]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Scientific Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) and the Assistant Secretary for Health

[[Page 57338]]

have taken final action in the following case:
    Jon Sudb[oslash], D.D.S., Norwegian Radium Hospital: Based on the 
findings of an investigation conducted by the Investigation Commission 
appointed by Norwegian Radium Hospital (NRH) and the University of 
Oslo, the respondent's own admission, and additional analysis and 
information obtained by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) during 
its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) found that 
Jon Sudb[oslash], D.D.S., former doctoral student and faculty member, 
University of Oslo, and former physician in the Department of Medical 
Oncology and Radiotherapy, NRH, engaged in scientific misconduct by 
reporting fabricated and/or falsified research in grant application 1 
P01 CA106451-01 submitted to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), and its first-year progress 
report.
    Specifically, PHS found that Dr. Sudb[oslash] engaged in scientific 
misconduct by falsifying and fabricating research that served as the 
rationale for Project 1, ``Oral Cancer Prevention with Molecular 
Targeting Therapy,'' with Dr. Jon Sudb[oslash], as project leader, in 
the grant application, and by falsifying a progress report for the 
awarded grant. In particular, in Figure 1 of the Background and 
Significance section of the grant application, Dr. Sudb[oslash] 
reported fabricated/falsified results for the effects of lesion ploidy 
upon survival in patients with oral pre-malignant lesions. In the 
Preliminary Data section of the grant application, Dr. Sudb[oslash] 
reported several events intended to demonstrate his experience in the 
research field that the Investigation Commission stated ``appear as 
pure fiction.'' Also, in the first yearly progress report for the 
funded grant, Dr. Sudb[oslash] falsified the number of patients that 
had been screened for admission to the study.
    In addition to three publications for which Dr. Sudb[oslash] 
admitted falsifying and/or fabricating data, the Investigation 
Commission found at least twelve other publications that warranted 
retraction because they could not be considered valid. The research 
reported in these publications was not supported by PHS funds. However, 
the publications address the same general research area as that 
addressed in the grant application and demonstrate a pervasive pattern 
of falsification/fabrication in research reporting on the part of Dr. 
Sudb[oslash]. The falsified/fabricated data presented in the grant 
application purport to demonstrate the feasibility of preventing cancer 
in a high risk population with nontoxic oral agents.
    Dr. Sudb[oslash] has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement) in which he has voluntarily agreed, beginning on August 31, 
2007:
    (1) To exclude himself permanently from any contracting or 
subcontracting with any agency of the United States Government and from 
eligibility or involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United 
States Government as delineated in the OMB Guidelines to Agencies on 
Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension at 2 CFR Part 376, et seq.; Dr. 
Sudb[oslash] agrees that he will not petition HHS to reverse or reduce 
the scope of the permanent voluntary exclusion or other administrative 
actions that are the subject of this Agreement; and
    (2) To exclude himself permanently from serving in any advisory 
capacity to PHS, including but not limited to service on any PHS 
advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a 
consultant or contractor to PHS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8800.

John E. Dahlberg,
Acting Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[FR Doc. E7-19850 Filed 10-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-31-P