2000 Little White Lies

Hats off to Professor David Colquhoun FRS, who’s been digging around dubious outfit Essential Health Products Limited. They are currently running adverts on TV throwing about all kinds of claims for their Stop Snoring remedy.
He discovered the “clinical trials”, authored by a one Dr Prichard, were rather sketchy (no surprises there), but the cherry on the cake was the following:

The paper did say openly that it was sponsored by the vendor.
What it forgot to mention is that 2000 shares in the company that makes the stuff are owned by a Helen Prichard, who happens to share the same address as Dr Prichard (amazing what you can find with Companies House and the phone book).

Discovering that not only is a product dodgy, but is dripping with undeclared financial interests? That’s some kickass debunking.

Visit Prof Colquhoun’s Improbable Science page

Add comment November 25th, 2006