An international team of scientists has identified 853 articles published by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU) that contain “substantial” ethical and legal concerns, according to a new analysis. Institute founder Didier Raoult was listed as co-author on 758 of those papers, one researcher behind the analysis reported.
Raoult’s Rise and Fall During the Pandemic
Raoult gained global attention in March 2020 when he and colleagues published research claiming hydroxychloroquine, a drug used for malaria and autoimmune conditions, was an effective treatment for Covid-19, especially combined with azithromycin. Then-US President Donald Trump called the research a “gamechanger,” though many scientists, including Dr Anthony Fauci, raised concerns about its quality.
Dr Mehmet Oz, who now heads the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, echoed Trump, calling Raoult’s work a gamechanger. French President Emmanuel Macron made a high-profile visit to the IHU, and Robert F Kennedy Jr later dedicated a book attacking Fauci partly to Raoult, calling his work “powerful.” The drug has not been shown to be effective against Covid-19, and the paper was retracted in 2025 for ethical and scientific reasons, but it had become one of the most cited pandemic-era articles.
New Analysis Reveals Widespread Ethical Problems
The research team, which published its findings in the journal Research Integrity and Peer Review, examined 2,674 papers from the IHU published between 1994 and 2024. They found that at least 78 articles describe biomedical research that “appears not to comply with the applicable French law.” They also identified 343 articles with no recorded ethics approvals, dozens of approvals obtained retrospectively, and repeated reuse of approvals for different studies.
Lonni Besançon, an assistant professor at Linköping University in Sweden and a member of the research team, said that if Oz had “reviewed/read the study correctly he would have found many of the problems” that were raised. The retracted article, Besançon said, was used to claim there was a cure for Covid, led to shortages of hydroxychloroquine, and diverted scientific attention from other promising leads. “A lot of time was wasted,” he said, adding that the paper “has also been used to push for an antivax agenda.”
Promotion by Trump Administration Figures
On 20 March 2020, Fauci stated at a White House news conference that there was no evidence hydroxychloroquine could combat Covid-19, calling the research “anecdotal evidence.” The next day, Trump cited Raoult’s research in a tweet. Two days later, Oz appeared on Fox & Friends, saying he was “flabbergasted” by the study and urging the US government to procure the drug. “The data is so strong, I completely understand why America wants to start taking these pills,” Oz said, though he noted it was not a randomized trial.
Emails obtained by a US House select committee showed Oz writing to Trump administration officials, including Jared Kushner, calling the research a “potential pandemic solution.” Kennedy, now health secretary, named Raoult among the “heroic” scientists to whom he dedicated his 2021 book. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not return requests for comment.
Impact and Institutional Response
The findings have led to 64 articles being retracted and 270 tagged with an “expression of concern.” The team called for additional review of the institute’s work. Besançon said millions of euros in research funds were “thrown out the window” due to poor practices. Aix-Marseille University stated it “conscientiously and responsibly” took measures when first alerted to problems in 2020, conducted its own investigation, and transferred findings to authorities. Raoult retired in 2021 and did not address questions about the new analysis, though he previously told Science magazine in 2024 that he followed ethical regulations.
