Four years after a scandal involving research by Duke University’s Dr. Anil Potti, the case has resurfaced in the form of a medical malpractice lawsuit. The case specifically focuses on how the university handled concerns about aspects of Potti’s research that were brought up by a medical student at the time. The university allegedly quieted these concerns.
A new report published in a national newsletter on cancer research called The Cancer Letter claims that professors and deans at Duke worked together to try to hush a student whistleblower in 2008, which came two years before investigations into research being done by Potti led to an in-depth investigation.
The student whistleblower was concerned that Potti had been falsifying data in his research. When he attempted to report his concerns, however, he was told that continuing to pursue the issue would result in him losing funding for his research, as well as an internal investigation within the university.
New information in the case was recently made available after depositions filed by former patients of Potti’s. The case is now expected to begin any week, and would include charges of fraud and medical malpractice, among others. Defendants include Potti, Duke University, the Duke University Health System and several university administrators. The university has not issued comments on the case, saying it will not comment on pending litigation.
For further updates on this case and to learn how you might proceed with a medical malpractice claim in North Carolina, consult a knowledgeable injury attorney at the Lanier Law Group today.