The government of China announced a radical policy to prevent fraud in projects funded by the CFDA, the federal agency that inspects and regulates food and drugs in China. Going forward, researchers who falsify clinical test data for drugs and treatments can be sentenced to 10 years in prison or, in extreme cases, the death penalty. The measure reflects the government’s concern over the rise in the number of cases of scientific misconduct in recent years.
A study published in April 2017 in Science and Engineering Ethics claims that 40% of biomedical science papers published in China from 2010 to 2015 showed evidence of misconduct. A review committee of the Chinese Supreme Court, which established a new interpretation of the Chinese Penal Code, approved the more stringent legislation.
The death penalty can be applied if falsified data in a clinical trial undermines public health.
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