Among his research findings are that
placebo has surprisingly little effect and that many
meta-analyses may have data extraction errors. Gøtzsche and his coauthors have at times criticized the research methods and interpretations of other scientists, e.g. in meta-analysis of placebo. Gøtzsche has commented on meta-analysis, and the editorial independence of medical journals. He has written about issues surrounding
medical ghostwriting with the position that it is
scientific misconduct. His critique stems from a
meta-analysis he did on mammography screening studies and published as
Is screening for breast cancer with mammography justifiable? in
The Lancet in 2000. In it he discarded six out of eight studies, arguing their randomization was inadequate. In 2006 a paper by Gøtzsche on mammography screening was electronically published in the
European Journal of Cancer ahead of print. The journal later removed the paper completely from the journal website without any formal retraction. The paper was later published in
Danish Medical Bulletin with a short note from the editor, and Gøtzsche and his coauthors commented on the unilateral retraction that the authors were not involved in. In 2013 his book
Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime: How Big Pharma Has Corrupted Healthcare was published.
Critique of reviews of HPV vaccine At the behest of the Danish Health and Medicines Authorities the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) was charged to review data in women concerning use of
HPV vaccines and the possible development of rare side effects, namely
complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and
postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). EMA's review was issued in November 2015 and found no causal relationship. Louise Brinth, a Danish physician who had published observational studies on POTS, subsequently critiqued the EMA review in a detailed rebuttal. Gøtzsche supported her and issued a formal complaint to the EMA criticizing their report in May 2018. Gøtzsche et al. also found faults with a 2018 Cochrane review of the HPV vaccine. The review had judged the vaccine as effective and did not find an increased risk of serious adverse effects.
Systematic Criticism of Psychiatric Drugs In his 2015 book
Deadly Psychiatry and Organised Denial, Peter Gøtzsche claims that
psychotropic drugs are minimally effective but highly dangerous, stating that 98% of users with mental disorders could discontinue them. He believes only a few need short-term
antipsychotics or
benzodiazepines during acute episodes, with gradual tapering to avoid withdrawal. Gøtzsche says national authorities should revise psychiatric guidelines and open discontinuation clinics.
Flaws in Trials and Concealed Risks Gøtzsche reports that trials overestimate benefits due to withdrawal in placebo groups from prior drugs, increasing complications like suicides in antipsychotic studies. Gøtzsche reports antipsychotics improve
PANSS by 6 (below clinical minimum of 15). He claims stimulants for ADHD offer doubtful benefits outweighed by harms, including animal-proven brain damage. == Expulsion from Cochrane ==