An Open Letter To Committee On Publication Ethics

Affirming The Retraction Of MAPS-Sponsored Studies

To the attention of the Committee on Publication Ethics and affiliated members,

I write to your esteemed organization as it pertains to the recent retraction of three (3) phase-two clinical trial publications originally featured in the medical journal Psychopharmacology. These problematic studies obscure a disquieting narrative of ethical breaches and scientific misconduct that can no longer be overlooked.

To provide context, the retracted publications were authored by various researchers employed and/or contracted by the for-profit Lykos Therapeutics (previously known as ‘MAPS Public Benefit Corporation’) as well as the non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (the fiscal sponsor of the research under scrutiny).

Within this document, I have outlined various incidents of misconduct associated with the retracted phase-two studies examining MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Given that Lykos Therapeutics has reportedly filed an appeal with COPE concerning the retractions, I urge COPE to confirm the necessity of these retractions, which represent a vital step in correcting the scientific record. Moreover, affirming the validity of the retractions would also protect the welfare of future trial participants administered this investigational form of drug-assisted psychotherapy, as clinical researchers would be better apprised of the modality’s risk profile.