A recent study published in the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine has revealed that pharmaceutical company Merck misled participants in a trial of its Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, compromising their right to informed consent.
The study found that the recruitment materials and informed consent forms provided to volunteers contained misleading information, leading them to believe that the study’s placebo was a harmless substance like saline.
However, it was actually a proprietary adjuvant called amorphous aluminium hydroxyphosphate sulfate (AAHS).
This discovery follows previous evidence from 2020, where researchers found similar misleading information in clinical study reports obtained from the European Medicines Agency regarding five randomized controlled trials of the HPV vaccine.
AAHS, which is used in vaccines to induce a stronger immune response, is a known neurotoxin.
Merck claims that the full composition of AAHS is proprietary and has not provided samples for independent testing.
This revelation raises concerns about the transparency and potential risks associated with the HPV vaccine.
