Suit Against Scientific Journal Raises Litigation Issues

Pharmaceutical company Biopure's defamation and trade libel case against a National Institutes of Health official for statements in an article co-authored for the raises concerns about the litigation risks of scientific discourse. The company claims that an article in the journal's online edition falsely stated that use of the company's Hemopure blood substitute product "is associated with significantly increased risk of death and myocardial infarction."