Washington, D.C. – The source of a series of false allegations often recited in media stories has publicly acknowledged her error and apologized for questioning the integrity of the FLCCC Alliance and founding members Paul E. Marik, M.D., FCCM, FCCP, chairman and chief science officer, and Pierre Kory, MD, MPA, president and chief medical officer.

In June of 2022, Allison Neitzel, a physician and author of the blog, Misinformation Kills, made a series of false allegations of fraud in reference to peer-reviewed published research of Drs. Marik and Kory. Dr. Neitzel’s unsubstantiated claims also included accusing the FLCCC Alliance of “grifting” when she falsely claimed that the organization is the “same” as other organizations that sold ivermectin and telehealth services to the public. Finally, Dr. Neitzel was a staunch supporter and promoter of false claims by another online influencer, Kyle Sheldrick, a physician and Ph.D. candidate in Australia, who made a series of unsubstantiated allegations of fraud committed by Dr. Marik on social media and to the journal CHEST that he later retracted following an investigation into his claims by the journal. Dr. Sheldrick publicly acknowledged his mistake in a statement issued in May 2023.

Many of Dr. Neitzel’s and Dr. Sheldrick’s false claims were often used by widely read media outlets, positioning them as authoritative sources of such information.

Today, Dr. Neitzel issued a lengthy statement acknowledging her mistakes and apologizing to Drs. Marik and Kory, and the FLCCC Alliance that included the following:

“A number of times in 2022 in the MisinformationKills newsletter and on Twitter, I used terms like “fraud” and “fraudulent” to criticize certain positions of and statements by the FLCCC, Dr. Marik and Dr. Kory, and to criticize certain studies by Dr. Marik or Dr. Kory. My posts have also characterized the use of ivermectin in treatment with words like “grift.” I take this opportunity to clarify that I did not mean my statements to be understood as conveying anything more than intense criticism, and I regret if anyone understood the statements as accusations that any of them had engaged in fraudulent professional or business practices.”

Her statement concludes, “I apologize to the FLCCC, Dr. Marik, and Dr. Kory for the statements that are the subject of this update.”

“As physicians in the public discourse, we all have the responsibility to not make accusations like fraud without first knowing all the facts. To do otherwise is highly irresponsible and unprofessional, especially when the media spread these accusations further,” said Pierre Kory, MD, MPA, president and chief medical officer of the FLCCC Alliance. We accept Dr. Neitzel’s apology. However, it is regrettable that it has taken almost two years for her to acknowledge her mistakes.”

“We are always open to a professional debate on any of our research. That is often how good science comes about,” said Paul E. Marik, M.D., FCCM, FCCP, chairman and chief science officer of the FLCCC Alliance. “I hope that Dr. Neitzel understands that accusations of fraud are not to be recklessly made and can be particularly damaging during a public health crisis when critical information among frontline physicians is being used to save lives.”

A link to Dr. Neitzel’s statement can be found here.

Additional information on the resolution of Dr. Sheldrick’s claims can be found here.