Johns Hopkins to Resume Research

A federal oversight agency suspended the university’s federally-financed research on humans on Thursday after an asthma experiment caused the death of a healthy 24-year-old woman.

he Office of Human Research Protection, which was established last year, suspended the research on Thursday, saying the ethics committee that approved the study had failed to take proper precautions to protect its subjects.

In a letter delivered to Johns Hopkins this morning, the OHRP approved a plan to correct deficiencies and resume research.

“OHRP recognizes the extraordinary efforts that your faculty and staff have made to develop this corrective action plan and to begin the initial steps to improve your system for protecting human subjects,” the letter to Hopkins said.

TThe letter, displayed on the federal agency’s web site, continued by saying that based on response from Johns Hopkins, the “OHRP finds that your institutions have developed a satisfactory corrective action plan to address all areas of noncompliance and concerns documented in OHRP’s July 19, 2001 letter.”

The school will now continue with all their studies deemed “non-invasive,” including surveys, ultrasounds and blood samples. Those considered riskier will require university and government review.

Johns Hopkins receives more federal research funding than any other institution in the United States, receiving more than $300 million last year.