The Monsanto Papers: Poisoning the scientific well
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Examination of de-classified Monsanto documents from litigation in order to expose the impact of the company’s efforts to influence the reporting of scientific studies related to the safety of the herbicide, glyphosate.
METHODS:
A set of 141 recently de-classified documents, made public during the course of pending toxic tort litigation, In Re Roundup Products Liability Litigation were examined.
RESULTS:
The documents reveal Monsanto-sponsored ghostwriting of articles published in toxicology journals and the lay media, interference in the peer review process, behind-the-scenes influence on retraction and the creation of a so-called academic website as a front for the defense of Monsanto products.
CONCLUSION:
The use of third-party academics in the corporate defense of glyhphosate reveals that this practice extends beyond the corruption of medicine and persists in spite of efforts to enforce transparency in industry manipulation.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
1. Krimsky S. Science in the Private Interest: Has the Lure of Profits Corrupted Biomedical Research. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield; 2004.
2. Healy D. Pharmageddon. Berkeley: University of California Press; 2012.
3. Goldacre B. Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients. London: Fourth Estate; 2012.
4. McGarity TO Wagner WE. Bending Science: How Special Interests Corrupt Public Health Research. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 2008.
5. Amsterdam JD McHenry LB Jureidini JN. Industry-corrupted psychiatric trials. Psychiatr Pol. 2017;51(6):993–1008.
6. McHenry L. Of sophists and spin-doctors: Industry-sponsored ghostwriting and the crisis of academic medicine. Mens Sana Monogr. 2010;8:129–45.
7. Carragee EJ Hurwitz EL Weiner BK. A critical review of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 trials in spinal surgery: Emerging safety concerns and lessons learned. Spine J. 2011;11(6):471–91.
8. Franz JE. N-phosphonomethyl-glycine phytotoxicant compositions. US application 3799758 issued 1974-03-26, assigned to the Monsanto Company.
9. Blair A Ritz B Wesseling C Freeman LB. Pesticides and human health. Occup Environ Med. 2015;72(2):81–2.
10. IARC. Glyphosate. In: Some Organophosate Insecticides and Herbicides: Diazinon, Glyphosate,Malathion, Parathion, Tetrachlorvinphos. IARC Working Group, March 3-10, 2015, Lyon (France). World Health Organization (WHO), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogen Risks to Humans. 2015;112:1-92. Available from: http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs /vol112/index.php.
11. Monsanto. IARC’s Report on Glyphosate, April 21, 2017. Available from: https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/glyphosate-report-response/
12. Monsanto. MONGLY10145298. Business Performance, David Saltmiras, 20 August 2013. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/8-Monsanto-Scientist-Admits-to-Leveraging-Relationship-with-Food-and-Chemical-Toxicology-Journal.pdf
13. Monsanto. MONGLY00989918. Email 10/15/2014, re: IARC Evaluation of Glyphosate. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/35-Monsanto-Admits-Company-Faces-Issues-in-Epidemiology-Exposure-Genotoxicity-and-Mode-of-Action.pdf
14. Monsanto. MONGLY01208470. Email 9/18/2014, re: Long time. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/40-Monsanto-Executive-Expresses-Long-Held-Concerns-Over-IARC-Testing-Glyphosate.pdf
15. Sismondo S. Ghost Management: How much of the medical literature is shaped behind the scenes by the pharmaceutical industry?. PLoS Med. 2007;4(9):e286.S.
16. McHenry LB Jureidini JN. Industry-sponsored ghostwriting in clinical trial reporting: A case study. Account Res. 2008;15:152–67.
17. Flanagin A Carey LA Fontanarosa PB Phillips SG Pace BP Lundbergt GD Rennie D. Prevalence of articles with honorary authors and ghost authors in peer-reviewed medical journals. JAMA. 1998;280(3):222–24.
18. Monsanto. MONGLY00977264. Email 2/19/2015, re: IARC Planning. Available from: https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/Email-Correspondence-Wherein-William-Heydens-Suggests-Experts-Could-Edit-and-Sign-Their-Names-to-Scientific-Paper.pdf
19. Monsanto. MONGLY01023968. Email 5/11/2015, re: Post-IARC Activities to Support Glyphosate. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/5-Monsanto-Involvement-with-Scientific-Studies-Without-Disclosing-Conflicts-of-Interest.pdf
20. Williams GM Aarderna M Acquavella J Berry C Brusick D Burns MM de Camargo JLV Garabrant D Greim HA Kier LD Kirkland DJ Marsh G Soloman KR Sorahan T Roberts A Weed DLA. Review of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate by four independent expert panels and comparison to the IARC assessment. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2016;46(S1):3–20.
21. Monsanto. MONGLY01000676. Email 2/8/2016, re: Summary Article. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/1-Monsanto-Executive-William-Heydens-Edits-and-Comments-on-Expert-Consultant-Manuscript.pdf
22. Monsanto. MONGLY00999487. Email 1/6/2016, re: Glyphosate Expert Panel Manuscripts. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/2-Monsanto-Executive-William-Heydens-Admits-Ghostwriting-Introductory-Chapter-in-Expert-Panel-Manuscript.pdf
23. Monsanto. MONGLY01030787. Emails 11/3/2015-11/4/2015, re: John, Glyphosate Expert Panel Poster at 2015 SRA AnnualMeeting. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/6-Monsanto-Consultant-Protests-Ghostwriting.pdf
24. ICMJE. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors. Available from: http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html
25. Monsanto. MONGLY02063611. Emails 3/15/2015, re: IARC Outcomes, Process, and Response. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/22-Internal-Email-Demonstrating-Monsanto-Ghostwriting-Article-Criticizing-IARC-for-Press.pdf
26. Miller H. March Madness from the United Nations, Forbes Science and Technology, March 20, 2015. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20170220012554/https://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2015/03/20/march-madness-from-the-united-nations/#21e081ee2e9
27. Monsanto. What others are saying: Third party responses to IARC glyphosate classification 03.30.15 to 04.08.15 Independent expert opinions. Available from: http://www.monsantoito.com/docs/What_Others_Are_Saying_Third_Party_Responses_to_IARC_Glyphosate_Classification.pdf
28. Kier LD Kirkland DJ. Review of genotoxicity studies of glyphosate and glyphosate-based Formulations. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2013;43(4):283–315.
29. Greim H Saltmiras D Mostert V Strupp C. Evaluation of carcinogenic potential of the herbicide glyphosate, drawing on tumor incidence data from fourteen chronic/carcinogenicity rodent studies. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2015;45(3):185–208.
30. Monsanto. MONGLY02117800. Manuscript clearance form, Review of Genotoxicity of Glyphosate and Glyphosate-Based Formulations, 2/29/2012. Available from: https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Monsanto-manuscript-clearance-form.pdf
31. Monsanto. MONGLY02145917. Email 7/19/2012, re: Genotox Review: your approval requested! Available from: https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/Emails-Between-William-Heydens-David-Saltmiras-and-others-Discussing-Kier-Kirkland-Study.pdf
32. Monsanto. MONGLY01723742. Glyphosate Activities, 8/4/2015. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/18-Monsanto-Scientist-Admits-to-Ghostwriting-Cancer-Review-Paper.pdf
33. Williams M Kroes R Munro IC. Safety evaluation and risk assessment of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, for humans. Regul Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2000;31(2):117–65.
34. Monsanto. MONGLY02286842. Email, 8/19/2008, re: FW: Manuscript CBTO548 for review. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/16-Internal-Email-Showing-Dr-Healy-Asked-Colleagues-to-Review-Study-That-Found-Roundup-and-Glyphosate-Adverse-Effects.pdf
35. Monsanto. MONGLY01238768. Reviewer Recommendation and Comments for Manuscript Number CBTO548. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/15-Peer-Review-by-Monsanto-Scientist-Recommending-Rejection-of-Study-That-Found-Glyphosate-and-Roundup-Adverse-Effects.pdf
36. Monsanto.MONGLY01189468. Email, 9/9/2008, re: Manuscript CBTO548. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/17-Internal-Email-Showing-Monsantos-Effort-to-Silence-Science-Re-Roundup-Adverse-Health-Effects.pdf
37. El-Shenawy NS. Oxidative stress responses of rats exposed to Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009;28:379–85.
38. Séralini G Clair E Mesnage R Gress S Defarge N Malatesta M Hennequin D De Vendômois J. Long term toxicity of a roundup herbicide and a roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize. Food Chem Toxicol. 2012;50(11):4221–31.
39. Food and Chemical Toxicology. RETRACTED: Long term toxicity of a roundup herbicide and a roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize. Food Chem Toxicol. 2014;63:244. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637
40. Séralini G Clair E Mesnage R Gress S Defarge N Malatesta M Hennequin D De Vendômois J. Republished study: Long term toxicity of a roundup herbicide and a roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize. Environ Sci Eur. 2014;26:14.
41. Monsanto. MONGLY02063095. Email 9/26/2012, re: Letters to the Editor? Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/7-Monsanto-Personnel-Discusses-Plan-Seeking-Retraction-of-Serlani-Glyphosate-Study.pdf
42. Monsanto. MONGLY00936725. Email 9/28/2012, re: Slides- Seralini Publication. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/14-Monsanto-Emails-Confirming-Undisclosed-Involvement-in-Successful-Retraction-of-Serlani-Study.pdf
43. Ferret E. Le professeur Gilles-Eric Séralini remporte le procès en diffamation face à Marianne. France 3, Basse-Normandie. France Télévisions. November 27, 2015. Available from: http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/normandie/le-professeur-gilles-eric-seralini-remporte-le-proces-en-diffamation-face-marianne-864671.html
44. Resnik DB. Retracting inconclusive research: Lessons from the Séralini GM maize feeding study. J Agric Environ Ethics. 2015;28(4):621–33.
45. Monsanto. MONGLY02185742. Consulting Agreement, A. Wallace Hayes, 21 August 2012. Available from: http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/10-Monsanto-Consulting-Agreement-with-Food-and-Chemical-Toxicology-Editor.pdf
46. Gillam C. Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science. Washington: Island Press. 2017.
47. Goodman R. RG-000664-000001. Email 11/7/2012, re: FCT. Available from: https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Goodman-Nov.-2201RG-000664-000001.pdf
48. Goodman R. RG-000010-000002. Email 10/7/2014, re: Question new paper glyphosate toxicity allegation. Available from: https://www.usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/GoodmanSriLanka1RG-000010-000001.pdf
49. Reynolds. A.Wallace Hayes, Reynolds Tobacco Company Inter-OfficeMemorandum, January 8, 1985. Available from: http://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/ykfw0079
50. Monsanto. Email 11/30/2010, re: Questions. Available from: https://usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Sachs-AR.pdf
51. v-Fluence. Email 3/11/2010, re: domain available. Available from: https://www.usrtk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/uploadBruceChassy3.pdf
52. Monsanto. Letter to European Parliament from PhilipW. Miller, 29 August 2017. Available from: Available from: https://www.greens-efa.eu/files/doc/docs/9f74819f824b3975d714a22b72eb2668.pdf
53. Pearce N. Corporate influences on epidemiology. Int J Epidemiol. 2008;37:46–53.
Cite
Cite
Cite
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: August 1, 2018
Issue published: August 2018
Keywords
PubMed: 29843257
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine.
View All Journal MetricsPublication usage*
Total views and downloads: 585
*Publication usage tracking started in December 2016
Publications citing this one
Receive email alerts when this publication is cited
Web of Science: 46 view articles Opens in new tab
Crossref: 61
- A large language model-based tool for identifying relationships to industry in research on the carcinogenicity of benzene, cobalt, and aspartame
- The afterlife of a ghost-written paper: How corporate authorship shaped two decades of glyphosate safety discourse
- Glyphosate 2023–2033
- Glyphosate 2023–2033
- Asymmetric evaluations of scientific evidence indicating harm compared to evidence indicating an absence of harm in regulatory appraisals
- Science Communication and Trust
- Mapping commercial practices of the pesticide industry to shape science and policymaking: a scoping review
- Unveiling chemical industry secrets: Insights gleaned from scientific literatures that examine internal chemical corporate documents—A scoping review
- What is the prospect of a perennial grain revolution of agriculture?
- Towards a more effective REACH legislation in protecting human health
- View More
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
I am signed in as:
View my profileSign out
I can access personal subscriptions, purchases, paired institutional access and free tools such as favourite journals, email alerts and saved searches.
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
