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Robert Wallace Malone is an American virologist and immunologist criticized for promoting misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Early life and education

Robert Malone graduated from the University of California Davis and went on to receive his MD from Northwestern University.

Career

In the 1980s, while a researcher at the Salk Institute, Malone conducted studies on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology, discovering that it was possible to transfer mRNA protected by a liposome into cultured cells to signal the information needed for the production of proteins. Malone claims to be the inventor of mRNA technology, though, credit for the distinction is more often given to later advancements by Katalin Karikó or Derrick Rossi.

Until 2020, Malone was chief medical officer at Alchem Laboratories, a Florida pharmaceutical company. He was previously director of clinical affairs for Avancer Group, a member of the scientific advisory board of EpiVax, assistant professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore school of medicine, and an adjunct associate professor of biotechnology at Kennesaw State University. In 2016, as CEO of Atheric Pharmaceuticals, he was contracted by the United States Government to assist in the development of a treatment for the Zika virus by evaluating the efficacy of existing drugs.

COVID-19

Malone was criticized for propagating misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, making unsupported claims about the alleged toxicity of spike proteins generated by some COVID vaccines and exaggerating the harmful side-effects of the vaccines, while promoting the use of unproven treatments.

Malone and researcher Maria Cristina Albertini convinced the publishers of Frontiers in Pharmacology to run a special issue featuring early observational studies on existing medication used in the treatment of COVID-19, for which they recruited other guest editors, contributors and reviewers. Malone and most other editors resigned when the journal rejected three of the papers selected. One was an article on ivermectin submitted by Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, a group of critical care physician that has been advocating for the drug to be used without randomized clinical trials. The journal argued that the ivermectin paper included unsubstantiated claims and had other issues that would have led to a retraction. The other two were co-authored by Malone, on the use of famotidine and celecoxib, the journal concluding during the post-review process that the uncontrolled trials were of little interest, especially since the patients were also receiving other treatments during the trial.

Later that year, according to Malone, LinkedIn suspended his account over what he claimed were posts he had made questioning the efficacy of some COVID-19 vaccines.

Selected publications

• Malone, Robert; et al. (2021). "COVID-19: Famotidine, Histamine, Mast Cells, and Mechanisms". Frontiers in Pharmacology. 12 (216).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (2016). "Zika Fetal Neuropathogenesis: Etiology of a Viral Syndrome". PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 10 (3).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (2016). "Zika Virus: Medical Countermeasure Development Challenges". PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 10 (3).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (2000). "Theory and in Vivo Application of Electroporative Gene Delivery". Molecular Therapy. 2 (3).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (1997). "Cationic Lipid-Mediated Gene Delivery to Murine Lung:  Correlation of Lipid Hydration with in Vivo Transfection Activity". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 40 (25).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (1995). "Cholesterol Enhances Cationic Liposome-mediated DNA Transfection of Human Respiratory Epithelial Cells". Bioscience Reports. 15 (1).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (1994). "Gene Expression Following Direct Injection of DNA into Liver". Human Gene Therapy. 5 (12).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (1990). "Direct Gene Transfer into Mouse Muscle in Vivo". Science. 247 (4949).
• Malone, Robert; et al. (1989). "Cationic Liposome-mediated RNA Transfection". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 86 (16).

Selected patents

• US Expired 7250404B2, Robert Wallace Malone; Jon Wolff & Dennis A. Carson et al., "Lipid-mediated polynucleotide administration to deliver a biologically active peptide and to induce a cellular immune response", issued July 31, 2007, assigned to Vical and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation 
• US Expired 5589466, Robert Wallace Malone; Jon Wolff & Dennis A. Carson et al., "Induction of a protective immune response in a mammal by injecting a DNA sequence", issued December 31, 1996, assigned to Vical and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation 

References

1. "License Number: D55466 Dr. Robert Wallace Malone". Physician Profile Portal. Maryland Board of Physicians. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
2. ^ Nogueira, Mariana (July 20, 2021). "Robert Malone é o inventor das vacinas de mRNA?". Visão (in Portuguese). Retrieved July 29, 2021.
3. ^ Jacob, Manon (July 13, 2021). "Flawed study misrepresents Covid-19 vaccination fatality rate". Agence France Presse. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
4. "From COVID to Malaria: The potential of mRNA vaccines". Deutsche Welle. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
5. ^ Kertscher, Tom (June 16, 2021). "The COVID-19 vaccines' "spike protein is very dangerous, it's cytotoxic."". Politifact. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
6. Malone, Robert. "Consultancy and analytics". RW Malone MD, LLC. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
7. "False: Dr. Robert Malone invented mRNA vaccines". Logically. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
8. Lardner, Richard (July 23, 2020). "Pepcid as a virus remedy? Trump admin's $21M gamble fizzled". Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
9. Perlman, William (March 8, 2016). "Zika Countermeasure Options Explored". Contagion. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
10. Chang, Ailsa (May 12, 2016). "White House Request For Emergency Zika Funding Hits Roadblock In Congress". WBUR-FM. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
11. Szabo, Liz (May 5, 2016). "Researchers look to repurpose approved drugs to treat Zika virus". USA Today. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
12. "Fact Check-COVID-19 vaccines are not 'cytotoxic'". Reuters. 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
13. ^ Offord, Catherine (April 28, 2021). "Frontiers Pulls Special COVID-19 Issue After Content Dispute". The Scientist. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
14. Fiore, Kristina (6 January 2021). "What's Behind the Ivermectin-for-COVID Buzz?". MedPage Today. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
15. D'Angelo, Peter (July 4, 2021). "Usa, uno degli scienziati dell'Rna messaggero denuncia: "Censurato da Linkedin" dopo aver espresso preoccupazione sulla trasparenza del governo rispetto ai potenziali rischi dei vaccini. La polemica con Reuters". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved July 29, 2021.

External links

• 2017 video of Malone interviewed by Contagion

• Living people
• Northwestern University alumni
• University of California alumni
• American virologists