Of as a “milestone” and “world sensation” advertised cancer test at the University hospital in Heidelberg seems not to be available as a prototype. According to information of the “süddeutsche Zeitung” asked the clinic a tumor biologists in order to check the Test. This not stated that the product existing in the Form shown, yet.

“Thus no information on the diagnostic value of the announced, but not yet existing product can be made”, – quotes the newspaper “Süddeutsche Zeitung” from an internal opinion of the tumor biologists. Information from a press release of the University hospital would have to be considered to be “not justified”.

The University hospital was provided in a press release in February in view that the blood test for breast cancer could already detect in the early stages. Therefore, the product should come in on the market this year. The “image”newspaper presented the development as a “world sensation”. The University hospital itself and the company Heiscreen, a spin-off of the clinic, wrote of “a milestone in the breast cancer diagnostics”.

First criticism directly after the announcement

Already after the publication of the press release and the “image”article, the independent expert had expressed scepticism, since the research results had not been published, such as in the case of this prior is common in a magazine.

As a subject of PR-campaign financial interests close to. The share price of a Chinese Investor, the NKY Medical Holding, rose after the appearance of the “image”-article by more than 35 percent.

Also controversial is that the Doctors of the University hospital, who presented the Test, and the Corporate spin-off Heiscreen interests in possible Proceeds of secured, do not have this invented. Instead, a Team of Chinese Rongxi Yang worked for several years very successfully, until in the spring of 2017, a Commercial spin-off was expected shortly.

At the time, a company that aims to support spin-offs of the University hospital of Heidelberg, Germany, and is majority-owned by the University hospital, the negotiations suddenly and without valid reasons will burst, as the MIRROR reported let. As a result, the majority of the original team of researchers left the hospital, resulting in considerable Know-How was lost.

Prosecutor’s office determined

The case has in the meantime also the judiciary. In April, the University hospital of Heidelberg criminal complaint against an unknown in a message, you justified the step with the signs of an unfair approach to the development and announcement of the Tests. The Prosecutor’s office, Heidelberg began preliminary investigations. Also, the focus of public Prosecutor for economic crime in Mannheim determined.

Last week, the University was also the division head of legal and third-party funding the management of the clinic, mark Jones, temporarily. He is also the managing Director of the company Technology Transfer Heidelberg (TTH), which is for Corporate spin-offs and the negotiations with the actual inventors of the Tests had led. The Supervisory Board of the clinic justified the exemption that Jones was in the elucidation of the facts and, therefore, conflicts of interest may exist.

The report of the “süddeutsche Zeitung” that there were several warning signs prior to the publication of the press release. Accordingly, the press spokesperson for the hospital expressed a number of times in mind, because “data validity” of the Tests were “quite clear”. Also the free now asked managing Director called on the Dean, according to the “süddeutsche Zeitung” to check the information about the Test prior to publication. The accusations prove to be true also of the members of the management Board of the University hospital are involved in the scandal.