Opinion: Peer review could have helped short-circuit the Theranos fake news scandal
Thanks to Theranos, startups might now face a greater burden of proof to demonstrate their technology is effective.
Theranos had a product almost everyone could get behind: a revolutionary blood test that would allow individuals to quickly and easily access information about their health. Startups like Theranos rely on cutting-edge innovation, then leverage that innovation to attract investors. Now the company’s downfall is a signal to innovators, the public, and the media that we need more transparency and credibility built on peer-reviewed publications.
Holmes, who was accused of falsely claiming that Theranos had developed a portable analyzer that could perform virtually any medical test using with the Security and Exchange Commission for a penalty of $500,000, among other things.
