A vast database from a little-known company called Surgisphere has influenced rapid policy shifts as the world seeks treatments for Covid-19. But as researchers began to examine it more closely, they became increasingly concerned
“The Lancet study was published on a Friday. In less than 24 hours, the World Health Organization [WHO] had stopped the hydroxychloroquine arm of the trial they’re sponsoring,” Chaccour says. “This had massive consequences. There are 131 hydroxychloroquine Covid-19 trials registered. Many national funding agencies stopped or paused these trials. Many patients read the news about the study. Thousands of patients enrolled in these trials feel fear and anguish. How can you continue these trials now? When patients just read this drug is not good?”
On Thursday, following growing concern from the medical community about the Lancet study and the database, the WHO reversed the decision to halt hydroxychloroquine trials. It too had reviewed the study, and found there was no reason to discontinue trials based on the data. However, WHO officials also reiterated there was as yet no evidence that hydroxychloroquine, or any drug, reduces the mortality in patients who have Covid-19.
Chaccour was baffled that Mehra and Desai were publishing these large studies in prestigious journals every few weeks. It was research that would take months, at least, to write up, longer than the pandemic has been around.
‘I have serious concerns with the database’
This time, Chaccour was not alone in his concerns. His questions about the paper were echoed by scientists around the world who had also identified serious and potentially fatal flaws in the study. Guardian Australia revealed errors in the Australian data, which overestimated the number of deaths. It led to the Lancet issuing a correction, but Desai insisted the error did not change the overall findings of the study – that hydroxychloroquine was ineffective and potentially dangerous in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
An investigation by Guardian Australia found the database the studies were based on contained seriously questionable data. Desai did not adequately answer questions from Guardian Australia about how Surgisphere, once listed as a medical education company, came seemingly out of nowhere to become a data analytics company implementing a global database using artificial intelligence and cloud sharing in a matter of months, and with just 11 staff.
Surgisphere’s science editor, listed on LinkedIn, appears to have no science or data credentials. Instead, searches of her name and photo suggest she is a full-time science-fiction author and artist. Searches of the company’s director of sales and marketing, also listed on LinkedIn, suggest she is an adult model and brand ambassador, again with no scientific background or references to a Surgisphere job on her websites. Most of the Linkedin profiles for Surgisphere staff were created only two months ago.
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