Self-correction is essential to science: Author’s response

Abstract:

I thank R Srivatsan [1] and Shailaja Chandra [2] for commenting on my reflective article [3]. While it is true that the scientific establishment has, on many occasions, betrayed the public trust because of the power and money associated with it, the same cannot be said of “science” as such. Science is an idea that places evidence-based thinking above everything else while understanding a phenomenon. The results of this endeavour often depend on how well people apply it in different situations. Thalidomide and Rofecoxib could be taken as two examples where the biomedical sciences have disappointed the public [4]. However, one must remember that science cannot be blamed for causing these disasters; instead, it is the “science establishment” that must take the blame. After all, was it not because of science that these mistakes were exposed? By “establishment” I mean the entire mechanism that plans and regulates drug development, safety testing, marketing approvals, post marketing pharmacovigilance, journal editing, publications, etc.