New England Journal of Medicine Retracts 2021 Article on Avacopan Due to Data Manipulation

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has retracted a 2021 article on 'Avacopan for the Treatment of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis' at the request of two academic authors. An ongoing FDA investigation revealed that primary endpoint assessments in nine patients were readjudicated after database lock and trial unblinding, which was not disclosed in the article and is inconsistent with proper research conduct. This manipulation of data led to the FDA approval of the drug and a subsequent multi-billion dollar acquisition.