Whittemore Peterson Institute
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Annette Whittemore, Harvey Whittemore, and Daniel Peterson |
| Type | Charitable foundation and research institute |
| Location | |
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Key people
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President: Annette Whittmore Research director: Vincent Lombardi |
| Mission | Research and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, atypical multiple sclerosis, and autism |
The Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease (WPI) is a research institute and charitable foundation known for its claims that the retrovirus xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is associated with and may cause chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and a variety of additional diseases. A report by WPI scientists of an association between CFS and XMRV was forcibly retracted by the journal Science when the results could not be replicated, and it was discovered that XMRV was a laboratory-created recombinant of two mouse viruses. Amid allegations of sloppiness and scientific misconduct, WPI personnel criticised the methods and motives of other scientists, implying that the negative results were part of a "cover-up" or a "bias against this disease (CFS)".
WPI was created by the parents of a CFS patient, Annette and Harvey Whittemore, and by Daniel Peterson, an early researcher of the illness. Peterson left WPI in 2010 due to concerns related to the XMRV research. The institute is affiliated with the University of Nevada, Reno.Judy Mikovits joined as research director in 2006, but was terminated by WPI in October 2011 for not turning her work over to another scientist while also coming under investigation for alleged manipulation of data in her publications related to XMRV. WPI moved to the newly constructed Center for Molecular Medicine in August 2010.
Annette Whittemore, co-founder and president of the institute, stated that the inspiration for the institute came from her daughter, Andrea Whittemore-Goad, who was diagnosed with Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) at the age of twelve. Whittemore stated that numerous doctors were unable to help her daughter, and that the first major improvement came ten years after her diagnosis when she was treated by Peterson with the experimental antiviral drug Ampligen.Hemispherx's new drug application for Ampligen, which permits sale and marketing, was rejected by the FDA in December 2009 and the agency asked for another clinical study. Interviewed by The New York Times, Whittemore said that "she had long believed that the syndrome was an infectious disease, but that scientists had rejected the idea", and decided that, "if there was a place of our own where we could find the answers, we could do it more quickly." Her husband Harvey said that his wife also wanted to recognize Peterson for his history of treating the illness since 1984.
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