The Lancet has published an expression of concern regarding a 2025 study on exenatide as a potential Parkinson's disease treatment. The action follows findings from a regulatory inspection at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, one of the clinical trial sites.
The inspection, part of a broader review, uncovered department-wide problems with trial conduct, oversight, and governance. Regulators classified some findings as critical and major, leading the journal to flag the original article.
The study, led by Nirosen Vijiaratnam and colleagues, had reported on the efficacy and safety of once-weekly exenatide. The Lancet was notified of the inspection results on May 18, 2026, by the corresponding author.
The expression of concern does not specify which data points may be affected or whether the findings alter the study's conclusions. The journal has not yet announced a full retraction or correction.
Further investigation is expected as regulators and the journal review the implications for the trial's integrity. Researchers and clinicians are advised to interpret the study's results with caution until more details emerge.